Raindrops of the eyes
by TJTMaria
Summary: She looked at her saviour. Probably the person she would least expect. The woman carried a shovel in her hand, a fierce determination in her eyes, a kind sympathetic look on her face. Hunith. Mother of the boy who poisoned her. Morgana is attacked by a cruel man. Saved by Hunith, she repays her by staying and helping in the village, only for our favourite warlock to show up! M/M
1. Chapter 1 Morgana and Hunith

**Hey, my first Merlin fanfic. I had this idea in my head, and i just had to get it out, I am totally in love with Merlin, it's an amazing show, and i love the fanfics! Espeacially Merlin/Morgana, my favouritee :D So here we go.  
Critism is very welcome, any tips on how to get better and all that :)  
Review?**

_Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass,  
It's about learning to  
Dance in the rain_

The rain hammered onto the ground, the thunder boomed and the sky flashed.

Everybody was in their homes, trying not to get wet or hit by lightning. Looking after children who get clattering knees at each clap, or trying to keep the most curious ones indoors for their own safety. Nobody went out in a thunderstorm.

Well, with the exclusion of one person.

Not far from the nearby village of Ealdor, a young woman was searching for a flower. The flower she was looking for was found at the bottom of trees, inbetween roots, almost hidden in the dark. The thunderstorm had been going on for around an hour now, and she knew it wouldn't be long before it stopped. She needed to find that flower, and soon. If anybody saw her, they would run for Camelot, warning their _beloved_ king of the wanted witch.

Morgana knew that if anyone tried to capture her she could easily protect herself or escape. She had magic, for crying out loud, anyone who attempted to mess with her was a fool.

A tingle ran down her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She paused. Her gut twisted sickingly.

Attempting to ignore the feeling, she walked further into the forest, coming near to the edge. She could hear faint footsteps behind her. She came to a sudden stop. One, two footsteps. Then nothing. Something was following her.

Or someone.

_Probably just a stray dog or something._ She thought, though fear gripped her sides.

She walked again. Footsteps followed. She was sure. Stopping again, she heard one footstep. Then silence.

She held her breath. She could hear the rain drumming against the trees and leaves. Stretching her hearing out further she could hear her own heart hammering inside her ribcage. She listened carefully. Behind the loudness of the rain, she could hear what sounded like a whisper.

Someone was there. She was sure. They were following her. Why though?

Oh yeah. Wanted witch and all that. But who would be so foolish?

No-one.

Only someone stronger would dare challenge her, surley.

Emrys? No. She would have seen it.

So who?

Someone. Someone she didn't know. Didn't know but apparently would soon.

She felt weak. _Turn around. _ She thought. _Get ready to blast them away._ _1...2...3...Now..._

_That worked..._

_Okay, now...NOW...Right, this is just getting ridculous. _

She spun round, her hand stretching out ahead. Adreniline rushed through her veins.

Nothing. Nothing happened. Her magic wasn't working.

Standing infront of her was a man. She assumed he was responsible for this. He wasn't good looking, rather ugly and scary looking. The type of man you didn't want to bump into down the market.

"Who are you?" Morgana asked, trying to sound fierce. "What do you want?"

The man only smirked in reply. He was bald. His eyes were black. Hollow but strong. It chilled her to the bone.

"What is it you seek?" She asked. No reply. "What have you done to my magic?"

The man walked towards her slowly. Fear took the better of her. Without magic, she was nothing. She relied on it, more than anything else.

She walked back, her eyes never leaving his. The cold, black eyes, terrifing.

For the first time, the man spoke, taunting her. "Don't run away." His voice was almost as scary as his eyes. She backed up into a tree. She had nowhere to turn, he was advancing on her quickly. Closer and closer. She let herself curl up into a ball, but still too frightened to look away.

He smiled down at her. Not a happy smile, comforting and friendly. A cruel smile, only evil and twisted sickness behind it. He grabbed her shoulders tightly, pulling her back up.

The man looked her body up and down before twisting her round and starting to undo her dress.

"GET OFF ME!" She yelled, energy running through her, screaming at her to run. She struggled, attempting to break free, but was only shoved against the tree, grazing her face.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She hadn't cried in so long. This man was not worth her tears.

But the terrified girl underneath the beautiful wanted witch cried with fear.

"Please..." She begged, her voice cracking. "Let me go..."

"I will." He growled, spinning her round, breathing onto her face. His breath stank horribly, a mixture of bad breath and alcohol. "Once I'm done with you."

Morgana let out a terrified scream as he ripped off her rain drenched dress, leaving her in nothing but her underwear.

He threw off the cloak, revealing strong muscles. She watched in horror as he yanked down his pants, smiling in twisted happiness.

No more. She couldn't take it. Couldn't bare to look another second.

Turning away as a mixture of raindrops and tears ran down her cheeks a loud clang froze her in place. Risking a look at her attacker, his face was stuck in one expression. He fell to the side, knocked out.

She looked at her saviour. Probably the person she would least expect.

The woman carried a shovel in her hand, a fierce determination in her eyes, a kind sympathetic look on her face.

Hunith. Mother of the boy who poisoned her.

"Morgana, is that you?" Hunith's voice was gentle and calmed her. In reply she nodded, unable to find her voice. "Here, put on my cloak, I'll help you."

She handed Morgana her cloak, who just stared at it in return. "Morgana, you can trust me. I won't turn you in. I want to help. No-one deserves whatever that sick man was thinking of." She took the cloak and slipped it on, embarrased at her bareness. "I'm going to report him. Attempted rape. I'll say she was a young druid girl and ran away."

Morgana asked, once they were seated in Hunith's home, "Why did are you helping me?" It must have been lonley since her son left her for Camelot. Hunith had been making soup, enough for two. Apparently she liked to have some spare, which was handy.

"You helped saved our village once. You had a good heart, pure kindness. The evils of the world can change us. Turn us bad, make us scared, turn us good, make us strong." Hunith smiled, "And like I said. No-one deserves what that man was going to do to you."

Hunith had took Morgana home and given her some warm clothes to change into while she got some of the men from the village to collect the man from the forest and report him.

Morgana slurped her soup and blushed slightly. She aplogised, being polite. "Hunith, you knew Will quite well, didn't you?"

Hunith frowned slightly, confused by the question. "Merlin's friend? Yes, he and Merlin were either here or at his house. He was like a second son to me. Espeacially after Merlin left, it was lonley. Then he left too...Why?"

"Well, he had magic, didn't he?" Hunith nodded in repsonse, knowing that Will had lied on his deathbed to protect Merlin. She would help protect her speacial son, just as he had done. "Do you know if his magic ever...stopped working?"

"Stopped working?" She said, "Is that what happened in the woods?"

"Yes, I thought I heard someone following me. I turned round to throw them away, with my magic, but it didn't work..."

Hunith took another sip of her soup. "Magic doesn't just stop, Morgana."

"But-" Hunith raised her hand, indicating for her to be silent.

"The only way magic stops is if there is a enchament placed upon the sorceerer."

"I thought I heard him whispering before I turned round...you don't think-"

"I'm afraid so."

Morgana felt rather empty. This was the second time now that her magic stopped working. Someone must have placed an enchantment the first time. _Emrys? _The question ran round her head for the rest of dinner.

Once they had their soup, Hunith gave her Merlins old sleeping roll and pillows. Morgana thanked her, forever grateful to this woman.

Morgana couldn't help but notice how familiar the sleeping roll and pillows smelt. It was comforting at the same time, and gave Morgana a dreamless night.

The sun had only recently rose from behind the fields, waking the animals and people.

"Morgana?" Hunith yawned, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing? You should be resting."

"I'm making you breakfast...I wasn't sure what you liked, but I remember that porridge you gave us all once, and I saw you eat it, so I thought I'd make that...do you like that?" She turned round, hesitant.

"Yes, I do like it, but you really shouldn't have. You're a guest here." Hunith said, "A guest who has just had a traumatic experince!"

"You get over things like that quickly when you have nightmares as often as I do." She smiled, continuing with the breakfast. "Hunith, do you know how long it could take for my magic to return?"

"Honestly," Hunith replied, "I really don't know. It depends how strong the enchantment is. How long did you lose it for last time?"

"Only a couple of days." She said and Hunith hummed.

After breakfast, Hunith tied Morgana's hair back into a bun and placed the cloth hat over her head.

In Hunith's dress, the hat on and her hair pulled back, she could barley reconise herself.

Over the next couple of weeks Morgana and Hunith had become close. Hunith had provided Morgana with a home and a new life in Ealdor. Morgana would help Hunith out in return, with jobs around the village. Nobody really noticed Morgana, they just accepted her. She guessed that because Hunith was trusted and well known in Ealdor, nobody really thought to question her actions.  
Throughout the last week, Morgana had been having nightmares, which returned the same time her magic had, about the man who attempted to rape her. It terrified her everytime, and she was always left feeling guilty for waking the poor woman who had rescued her. Everytime Hunith and her motherly instict had known what to do, and looked after her well.

It was a sunny afternoon. Hunith had gone out to do some more jobs whilst Morgana made some soup for dinner. She had made enough to serve 4 so they had some spare the next night.

She heard the front door creak open, and something being put lightly on the floor. _Hunith's back early..._

"Hello?" Morgana froze up hearing the deep voice. She had heard the voice at night while she slept. Footsteps found their way into the room she was in. "Who are you?"

She turned round facing the man she would reconise anywhere. He stared at her in disbelief. She stared at him in shock. They stared at each other in their own little world.

After a few minutes of silent stares he broke it off, finding his voice. "Where's Hunith?" He asked quietly.

"She's doing some jobs. I'm making the dinner." She answered.

"Right..." He nodded, not taking his eyes off her. "Why are you here?"

"I-" She paused. "It's a long story that I don't really want to tell...You can ask your mother though."

**What do you think? Like I said, review? Critism welcome, like tips on improving etc. :)**

**Hope you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2 Merlin

Merlin eyed Morgana, wary and untrusting. "How long have you been here?"

"A couple of weeks." She replied, having a strange feeling overcome her from his intense stare.

He frowned, "A couple of weeks?" His voice was more raised now, "You mean to say my mother took you in and let you stay here for a couple of weeks?"

"Yes, your mother is very kind." She said before adding bitterly, "Kinder than you."

They glared at each other, blue to green, green to blue.

He hadn't changed much since the last time she was him. His ears, they were large enough to be small plates. The cheekbones, she was sure that some people would kill for them. His eyes, always the same blue. There was always a sense of hate when she looked into them. That's probably just because it was her though.

She continued to study the tall, dark haired man until his lips moved, and his voice could be heard again. She quickly brought herself back to reality.

"I never wanted to poison you, Morgana." He wasn't glaring anymore. He looked so sad, sweet as an innocent little puppy begging for you to share some of your food. She never gave into the dogs, and she certainly wouldn't ever give in to Merlin. Ever. "You betrayed Camelot. You made yourself the center of it all, I had no choice."

"There's always a choice, Merlin." She hissed, turning back to the soup. She couldn't take the puppy-like face much longer. It was pathetic...

"Always a choice?" He scoffed, anger clear in his voice. "Strange, I remember saying something familiar to you, how there was another way, but you told me there wasn't?"

"Actually, you never said there was another way. Just that we could find one." She smirked, loving the fact that she was right. "I wasn't going to waste my time searching for something that wasn't there. There was no other way."

"There was. There's always another way, always a choice." He thought this Ironic, considering he how he had just been saying he didn't have a choice. "But sometimes, the choice isn't always yours. Sometimes, you have to make the right choice for everyone else. That's what I did."

Morgana's voice stayed calm and composed. "So did I. Uther was-"

"Uther?" Merlin nearly yelled, "Look, I can understand rebelling against him, he was killing your kind and all that, but he's dead now, what are you even rebelling against?"

"Don't be so stupid, Merlin." She rose her voice, matching his as she spun round to face him. "Arthur is just the same as Uther, he wants people like me dead! He hates magic!"

"Maybe he hates magic because his half sister is an evil witch who keeps trying to kill him! You say he's just like Uther, but he helped you rescue Mordred, who was magic! While he has been King, I have to say that I haven't seen any executions!"

"Maybe that's because anyone with magic is hiding, absolutely terrified! You just don't understand what it's like for people like me! You don't have magic, you couldn't dream of understanding what it's like to be an outsider, to be terrified of yourself," She realized inbetween her yells of anger how close they were, nose to nose. Well, more nose to chin. "I grew up being taught that magic was the core to all evil, that it corrupts your soul! But that's not true!"

Merlin nearly laughed. "Try telling Arthur that after his half sister found out she had magic, and became evil!"

"I was never corrupted by my magic!" Anger boiled in her blood, her body hot with emotion.

"I never said you were! I don't believe in any of that, but you have been...ABUSING the privilege of having magic! You should have used it for good, to help people!"

"Should have used it for good? I did! I tried! I wanted to bring magic back to Camelot, to help my kind be accepted again!"

"Well you didn't exactly come about it the right way, did you?" Merlin could feel the magic like adrenaline, pumping around his body. He had to control it. He had to.

"You wouldn't understand! You never have and you never will!" Morgana yelled, her fingertips tingling with magical energy.

"I wouldn't understand?" Merlin, finally having enough, concentrated on a vase in the background. Before he could release any magical energy, a familiar voice stopped him.

"Enough!" His mother yelled, "I can see there's a lot for you both to talk about. We will talk, but together. And I mean talking, not arguing and blowing the roof off my poor home with those yells."

"Sorry Hunith..." Morgana apologies, her cheeks glowing red, as she looked down at the floor.

Merlin sighed. "Sorry mum..."

Hunith had left Morgana with the cooking and told Merlin to help out while she took her afternoon nap. Both sorcerers were quiet, not wanting to disturb the woman's sleep.

Morgana, not wanting to talk to Merlin, was left to her own thoughts.

She didn't like that plan. Not one bit.

Merlin couldn't have been more confused.

Had Morgana enchanted his mother? Was his mother no longer on his side?

He realized that his mum didn't know much of what had happened between Merlin and Morgana personally.

Should be interesting telling the story over dinner though.

Morgana. That woman drove him beyond insanity. He thought she had finally decided to go live quietly, never seeking to do any more harm or get involved in his life. He couldn't have been more wrong.

She had a plan. He knew it. She must have a plan. What if it's to get close to his mum? Or him? Had she been waiting for him?

Why did she have to come to Ealdor. What was wrong with her little hovel? She could have gone anywhere else, any other village, heck, she could have even gone to the druids. Why this one? The village he visits occasionally to check up on his mother. Why his mother?

Why him?

"Soups ready." His questions were interrupted by Morgana's quiet voice.

He nodded, "I'll set the table out, you wake my mum."

She stepped back as he lifted the pot and placed it on the small table in the room before grabbing three bowls from the cupboard. Hunith walked in, followed by Morgana who had obviously just woken her.

"I do like soup," She mused, seating herself at the end of the table. "How long do you plan to stay, Merlin?"

"Just a couple of days." He replied, sitting opposite Morgana. "Arthur's getting on my nerves again..."

Hunith half sighed half chuckled. "What happened this time?"

"Well-" He glanced at Morgana, stopping himself. "Just the same as usual." Morgana studied him, a small amount of confusion crossing her features before she shrugged it off.

"Merlin?" She asked, putting her hands around her bowl. "You said you were going to set the table out?" He nodded, a frown on his forehead. "I thought you would have got some cutlery to eat the soup with aswell..."

His mouth made an 'O' shape, and Morgana smiled with amusement. "Sorry." He reached for a drawer, not leaving his seat, and took out three spoons and then handed them out. "So, Morgana..." He began, playing with his soup. "What brings you here?"

"Hunith." She replied simply. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "She brought me here, she found me."

"What, at your hov-um, home?" He caught himself, his mother giving him a warning glance. He was always taught to be polite to guests. No matter who they were.

"Hovel, it's alright. You can say it." She smiled, "But no, not there. I was in the woods..."

"What were you doing there?"

"Looking."

"For...?"

"A flower." She looked up into his eyes, and held her breath. She had tried not to think of that day. She had nightmares, that she couldn't control, but she could control what she thought of while she was awake. Besides, she didn't want her new friend, Hunith, to get worried about it. "I didn't find it though."

"And then my mother just...saw you?" She fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably, shaking her head. "What happened?"

"I...This man...he..." She didn't want to tell this story. "I'll wash up, shall I?"

Before anyone could answer she jumped out of her seat and collected the empty bowls, leaving the room. Merlin turned to his mother, wanting an answer. She shook her head. "It's for her to tell. Not me." Hunith stood up and went back to her seat to nap once more. She was getting old now. Simple things became more tiring. It didn't stop her, but she often felt exhausted by the end of the day. She was glad she had Morgana to help her now, and Merlin again for a little while.

"Morgana?" She ignored the voice, kneeling to wash the bowls in the river. "Morgana, don't ignore me."

No response. Merlin swore under his breath. "Can you tell me what happened? In the woods?" She shook her head, missing the feeling of long locks of hair swishing with her head. "Please?"

"I was looking for a flower." She replied, sitting back. "And then..."

He sat down next to her, his arms loosely around his legs. He encouraged her gently."Go on."

"I thought I heard someone." She gulped, "And then, there was someone. This man."

"Who was he?"

She closed her eyes, hugging herself. "He had black eyes. They were hollow and...terrifing. He took my magic."

"Black eyes?" He frowned, his eyes widening. "We took someone in a couple of weeks back, someone from around here reported that he was attacking a young druid girl."

"Yes," She felt tears swelling in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall. "Your mother is very brave."

"What?"

"She knocked him out." She would have smiled if the experience hadn't been so awful. This lady from the village knocking out a sorcerer.

"So, this ugly man takes your magic, attacks a druid girl and my mother knocks him out?" He recapped, smiling slightly at the end.

"There wasn't a druid girl." She told him, "She wanted to help me, but she wanted to report him. So she made up a story...twisted the truth."

"So he took your magic and she knocked him out?" He frowned.

"No exactly..."

Merlin sighed, frustrated. "Hold on, the man basically got put in the dungeons for no reason?"

"There was a reason. She gave that reason." Her voice cracked, causing Merlin to look at her, concern clear in his blue eyes. "She just twisted the truth to protect me."

He feared the worst, but would not accept it. Not until it came from her lips.

"I was the druid girl."

Merlin felt anger hit him right in the stomach. He was angry, no, not angry, he was outraged. Fuming.

It was bad enough that someone would do something like that. No-one should ever treat a woman in that way.

It just made it worse that he had took away her magic. He had left her defenseless and terrified. It was disgusting. He wanted to protect her. He thought this odd, how he had suddenly become to protective over Morgana.

He assumed this was because she had been so defenseless, and what the man did was so wrong to him.

Without thinking, Merlin put an arm around her comfortingly.

She wanted to wriggle free, she didn't want him to be touching her. She didn't want him near her. Didn't want to ever see his face again.

Why? She thought to herself, Because he poisoned me why else? She didn't answer that thought.

Instead of resisting Merlin's caring arm, she snuggled further into him, enjoying the embrace.

They sat there for nearly an hour. Merlin holding her as she cried, leaving wet patches on his top, which he didn't really mind.

They sat in silence, looking into the river, watching as the fish swam around. Merlin cleared his throat. "We probably should start heading back now, it's getting dark." Morgana nodded in response as Merlin stood up and she held out her hands.

He took them, noticing how strange the feeling was, holding her hands. He quickly pulled her up to her feet. A little too quickly with a little too much force.

She stumbled forward, colliding into him, as he took a step back and held her tightly. "Sorry." He mumbled nervously, "Are you alright?"

She looked up into his crystal blue eyes. "Uh-huh...you?" He nodded in reply, staring straight back into her eyes.

They were quickly lost and seemed unable to get their brains working again. Silence surrounded them, but it was comforting, almost beautiful this time.

They could have been standing there for minutes, or hours. Neither of them were really sure. Finally, Merlin found his brain again. "Uh, we better head back. It's..." He looked around quickly, noticing how dark it had suddenly become. "It's dark. It's dangerous to be out here in the dark..."

"Don't worry," She teased, as they began walking back to the village, staying close to one another. "I'll protect you." "I don't need protecting..." He smiled, "If anything, shouldn't I be protecting you?"

She giggled, before cursing herself for such behavior. "Yes, but you're clearly not capable of that. You haven't protected me very well in the past, have you?"

Merlin's gut twisted uncomfortably. "I tried. But you were too stubborn to admit there was another way. Something about you Pendragons..." "What's that then?" "You're all stubborn and have a massive ego." He smirked, looking out the corner of his eye for her reaction.

She chuckled lightly, "Is that why you are always so keen to deflate it then?" "Maybe."

They continued their walk back, sharing small banter and a few smiles before they entered Hunith's home.

"Where have you two been?" Hunith frowned, as soon as they entered. "I've been worried sick! You both just took off without warning, I haven't seen either of you in hours!"

Merlin closed the door behind him and looked at his mother, giving her the same look he had done once when he was a child. Him and Will had been up to more tricks, causing trouble.  
They gave her an innocent look, and a lie as their alibi. She wouldn't get angry at them and tell them off as such. She would laugh at them, saying if they didn't stop telling fairy tales one day something would happen, and she wouldn't believe them.

"I was helping Morgana with the bowls, then we lost one, and we had to chase it." He lied, not really wanting to tell his mother about the story, even if she did already know. No need for another 30 minutes of tears from Morgana.

"Chase it?" Hunith scoffed, "It grew legs and ran off did it?"

"Yes..." Merlin replied, shuffling his feet. He remembered times like this when him and Will had been told to do something, but Merlin had caused some disruption with his magic. Hunith was never impressed, but she loved the boys and didn't want Merlin to feel like an outcast. Well, more than he was.

"What did you do that for?" Hunith rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face. Morgana frowned.

Uh-oh. Merlin thought. She's got the wrong idea, she thinks Morgana knows of my magic now and that the bowl did grow legs.

"I didn't." He answered. "Don't lie, how else could it have happened?" "I don't know...maybe it was a magic bowl..." "Merlin, honestly." Hunith didn't press the matter further, "Tom, remember Tom nextdoor? He leant me a spare sleeping roll, you can have that." She tossed him the sleeping roll before heading off to bed.

Once she had gone, Morgana turned round to face him. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?" He asked, dodging the question.

"You know what!" Morgana hissed. "No I don't!" "Why did she ask you about the bowl growing legs?" "It is a bit strange, don't you think?"

"No, I mean, she said, 'What did you do that for?'" Morgana bit her bottom lip, causing Merlin to become distracted.

"She..." Those lips would be the death of him. "She's getting old now, she often remembers me and Will."

Morgana looked up at him sadly. He changed his focus from the lips to her eyes. He didn't expect what happened next.

He felt her body smack into his as her arms flung themselves around his neck. He awkwardly hugged her back, one arm around her waist and the other on her back.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled into him. A few seconds later her brain caught up with her. She quickly stepped back. "Goodnight."

Merlin stood there, thinking about what had just happened. He was being stupid. This was all crazy. His enemy staying with his mum. Where did it say this in his great destiny?

Was it no longer Mordred and Morgana united in evil, but Hunith and Morgana united? Could Hunith bring Morgana back?

His Morgana? The Morgana he had known before Morgause.

He felt guilt sinking in. He lied to her then and he lied to her now.

He needed to catch up with his animal friends sometime soon and find out what was going on. But not tonight, he thought as his eyes began to drop.


	3. Chapter 3 Aithusa

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry about the last chapter! I realized that it wasn't very good, and that I had quite a few mistakes in, which is probably due to the fact I probably forgot to save the edited copy or something, so I apologize for that.  
Also, thank you all so much for the reviews, I love receiving them and hearing what you guys all think of the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter :) It's quite short, but I wanted to hear everyones opinion at the end, before I continued. I'll be sure to update soon though.**

_Maybe I should go pay a visit to my scaly winged friends..._  
Merlin was wide awake at stupid o' clock. He couldn't help himself replay the whole day in his mind. It seemed so bizarre. The way Morgana had acted, it was like her old self.

But her old self before she became that monster.

_A beautiful monster, that is..._ Merlin thought, remembering how mesmerising she had been when his older self had battled her with magic. All for a jar of snakes that were later tossed in the fire.

But it was to save Arthur.

He kept asking himself; _Why is she here?_ He kept answering himself with; _Your mum._

Merlin finally decided to ask the Great Dragon about this. He'd know.

The wind was cold on his face and he could feel the chill through his clothes. He smiled as Kilgharra landed in front of him before Aithusa flapped around in front of him.

"Hello boy!" He grinned, patting him on the head. Aithusa had not grown much at all. He was around the size of a cat now, rather than a tiny dog or bird. Aithusa quickly settled himself on the dragonlord's shoulder, comfortable.

"You will be glad to know that Aithusa has been doing very well." Kilgharra informed, "He has mastered healing well."

"Really?" Merlin grinned, patting the smaller dragon once again and praising him before turning back to Kilgharra. "I have come for your help."

"Just as you have many times before, young warlock. What is it that concerns you?"

"It's Morgana."

The red dragon raised his head, more alert. "Ah, the witch has been causing trouble again, has she?"

"I'm not sure," Merlin answered, saw the dragons confusion and continued, "I came home, back to Ealdor to visit my mother. I found out that my mother saved Morgana a few weeks ago by knocking out a man after he took her magic."

Kilgharra nodded. "Continue."

Merlin took another breath. "I don't understand it. One minute she's attacking Camelot, the next she's making soup for my mother. What does this mean? Why is she here? Is there," He waved his left arm (which Aithusa was not on) in gesture, "Is this part of destiny? My own mother turning against me, or is she bringing Morgana back, I need to know what is happening!"

The large red dragon remained quiet, thinking, whilst Merlin got his breathing back to normal after his little outburst.

"Young warlock," Kilgharra started slowly, "Destiny has not spoken of your mother and Morgana. Morgana is still destined to be united with Mordred in evil."

"Then what is happening?" He asked, looking right up.

The dragon bowed his head slightly, "I am afraid I cannot answer your question. I must ask, why is the witch not dead?"

Merlin frowned slightly. He didn't like it when Kilgharra wanted him to kill. "Well," He started, a small smirk on his lips. "She has been killed and she has been saved. Destiny and fate have a strange way of deciding who lives and who dies, maybe it is not her fate to die so soon, but to be given one last chance?"

Kilgharra rolled his eyes. "Just because you sound wise, does not mean what you speak is wise." He chuckled at Merlin's frown then returned to his seirous expression. "I warn you, young warlock, the witch is evil. No matter how many chances she is given, she will always be the same."

"Nothing could change her?"

"Not that I believe. Destiny has chosen it's path, and you must now walk it."

Merlin sighed and gave the large lizard a nod of goodbye before turning round and heading back.

"And Merlin." He stopped and turned round again. "Heed my warning and trace not only carefully, but wisely." He watched as the great dragon flapped his wings and took off into the night.

It was only once he was entering the village again that he realized Kilgharra had gone, _alone_. Without the little white dragon in tow.

Merlin looked at his shoulder, feeling his heart swell up in love for the little dragon that had fallen asleep across his shoulder.

What was he meant to do with Aithusa?

He really didn't want to disturb the little dragon, as it was still young. But he couldn't really take it home with him..._could he?_

**I'm really sorry about it being so short btw. **

**But review anyway?**


	4. Chapter 4 Hunith

**Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I get so excited over them haha :)** **Just to clear up, yes, Aithusa did save Morgana in this story. I guess this is my sort of season 5 really, with everything the same before this. :)  
Once again, a massive thank you for the reviews! :D You are all amazing people!**

"MERLIN!" The raven-haired boy bolted up, hitting his head on the stupidly low cupboard above him. He fell back onto the sleeping roll, his hand clutching his forehead. "Merlin!"

"Oww..." He groaned, "WHAT?"

"Don't what me young man." Merlin opened his eyes to see his mother standing, hands on hips, above him.

_Wait, hands on hips? Uh oh..._

He pouted and put on his best child-like, feel-sorry-for-me voice. "I hurt my head."

Hunith raised her eyebrows. "I don't care if you've broken your leg, get up NOW."

Did she know about Aithusa? _I thought I hid him pretty well..._

"Such a caring mother...anyway, how would I get up with a broken leg?" He moaned, rolling himself into a sitting position. His mother gave him 'the look'. That one where they're just waiting for you to do what they want, and until you do, they won't stop looking at you like that. Sighing, he stood up and stretched.

Hunith started to walk away, convinced that he was finally awake and not going to fall back asleep. "Get some breakfast, I've got some jobs for you to do."

_So she doesn't know about Aithusa._

Merlin waited for her to leave the room before spinning round to the cupboard, which had previously caused him head injury. He pulled it open, smiling.

The little dragon opened one eye, looking at him strangely.

"You've got to get up." He explained, "Come on, we don't have long."

Aithusa left out a small, very cute, yawn and stretched his body like a cat. Finally looking much more aware of his surroundings the white dragon chirped in response. Merlin quickly took hold of him, wrapping his jacket around the scaly creature and rolling him into it, before closing the cupboard and walking into the kitchen.

"You'll crease that jacket." Morgana pointed out, eyeing the jacket with suspicion. He shrugged, not bothered. "Your mother won't be too happy."

"It'll be fine..." Merlin replied, taking a seat and placing the jacket on his lap. How would he do this? "Um, Morgana, could you just, ugh, get me some porridge please?"

Her left eyebrow shot up. "Why? You're more than capable."

"I'm still half asleep," he answered, "and I've bumped my head, everything's still a little dizzy."

She rolled her eyes but got up to dish him breakfast anyway. With her back to him, Merlin quickly rearranged the jacket so that Aithusa's snout was peeping out. He looked up; _just in the nick of time._

"Here." She sat down and pushed the bowl over to him before continuing to check her nails.

He glanced down at the bowl. _No spoon_. "Are you expecting me to eat this with my tongue?"

Morgana shot him a cold glare. "Enjoy your food."

Merlin shrugged and leaned down, licking a piece of porridge up with his tongue. He looked up at Morgana, licking his lips, before putting his head back down and continueing.

"That's disgusting." She frowned, tossing a spoon at him. "Manners don't cost a penny."

"Well that's good because I'm broke." He smiled, picking up the spoon. Morgana gave him another glare before walking out of the room.

He grabbed the bowl and tipped some of the porridge into the mouth that came out of his jacket. Once half of it was eaten, and a healthy burp was heard from the young dragon, he spooned some up for himself. His stomach growled and he quickly scoffed the rest of his shared breakfast.

He grabbed a basket and let Athusia take a ride in it, covering it with a teatowel so people wouldn't be able to see anything they shouldn't.

_I'd like having a dragon as a pet_, he thought to himself. Unfortunately he had to hide his scaly friend, couldn't let him fly around freely or sit on his shoulder, like he had done last night.

"Mum?" Merlin yelled, looking around the small home. He stepped outside. "Muummm!"

"Alright, no need to yell." Hunith appeared from the side of the house, her usual dress and cloth hat on. "Do you know if Gaius needs you to collect any herbs while you're here?"

"Um, he asked me to get a few. I got a list," He pointed over his shoulder to the house, "It's inside."

"Okay. Well make sure you get them for him sometime. I need your help with some things." Hunith started listing the jobs that Merlin needed to do. He couldn't even get away from chores when he went home...were they really everywhere?

Merlin quickly started with his chores, carrying the basket with Aithusa in around the village. The little dragon peeked out of the basket, looking around in awe. Occasionally his curiosity got the better of him and he would be straining his neck to look around, only for the teatowel to cover his sight once again. Merlin couldn't risk anybody seeing him.

Meanwhile, Morgana was collecting some buckets of water with Hunith. Hunith stood patiently as Morgana filled up the last bucket. "How are you feeling today?"

Morgana continued pumping the water, her arm muscles tensing. "I'm fine." She breathed, "And yourself?"

Hunith couldn't help but be reminded of the first time she met Morgana. She was Lady Morgana back then. A kind young woman who knew her rights from her wrongs. She was strong and had spirit but the world had changed her. During the past couple of weeks that the young witch had been staying, they had grown close. Hunith liked to think of Morgana as the daughter she never had. Morgana had first been terrified and confused. She gained her confidence within a few days and even made one or two witty remarks which had them both smiling.

During the second week Morgana had grown used to the village. She had met quite a few people, who all believed her to be Hunith's goddaughter, going by the name 'Mandy'. Everyone believed the story, not one question of doubt from anybody. Hunith admittedly was rather surprised as she had been expecting small chaos, but was grateful for the peace.

When Merlin returned home Hunith had seen a new side come out to play in both of them. She wasn't sure what it was to be exact. It was difficult to see, but it was there. Perhaps it was just that they were in old company which could be slightly awkward.

"I'm fine, dear." Hunith replied, smiling. She felt happy with herself when Morgana glanced back smiling aswell.

Merlin, when he had come to visit occasionally during the years, told his mother only so much. He mentioned about causing a rockfall to make sure no one else got to Arthur, who was alone, and ended up in Morgana's hovel home. She had healed his wound, though he didn't understand why. Hunith suggested that she had good intentions but had a bad way of getting there. Her heart could still be kind.

Merlin had simply shrugged his shoulders and left the room.

He had grown up over the years. From the young boy who went to Camelot, in order to find magical advice from Gaius, but was now a young man with a great destiny.

A memory flashed through her mind; Merlin running into the house, yelling for her. She almost had a heart attack with his frantic yelling. He hugged her fiercely and said he had forgiven her. When her reaction was a frown he simply said; "Dad the dragonlord."

He never really spoke of the Great Dragon, dragonlords or his dad after that. That was until he ran in jumping up and down with excitement one day, just around 13 months ago now.

"Good lords, You'll make a hole in the floor if you don't stop bouncing! What's going on?" Hunith said, half amused.

"I'M A DAD!" He yelled ecstatic.

"What?" She raised her eyebrows, "Who's the mother? Have I met her? You're not even married yet, Merlin! Are you even in a relationship? Oh dear, what-"

"No, I don't mean like that!" Merlin laughed, putting his hands on her shoulders. "There's a new dragon."

Hunith saw that he clearly cared for the rare white dragon, Aithusa. If she was perfectly honest with herself, he had acted like his first child had been born that day. She made him tell the whole story, from start to finish. What her son got up to, it made everyone else seem as boring as a dead fly in the road.

"A-fusa.." She attempted, the word foreign to her lips.

"Aithusa.." He repeated slowly. "Hunith?" _No, that's not right.._

"Hunith?" She frowned slightly, blinking in surprise. "Are you alright?" Morgana had a concerned frown inbetween her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

"Yes, of course I am, just blanked out there." She chuckled, picking up one of the three buckets of water. "I was away with the fairies!"

"I noticed..." Morgana smirked playfully, like a young child. She bent down picking up the other two buckets and following Hunith through the village.

"Tell me, Mo-" There were more people around them now so she needed to be more careful. "Mandy," she corrected, "I am curious. What happened between Merlin and you? Neither one of you have really told me anything."

It was true. Even throughout the adventures that they both shared with Hunith, they had both tried not to mention the other. She wanted her answers though, and somehow, someway she would get them. She was a mother, after all.

This caught Morgana off guard. "Mum..." She bit her bottom lip, not sure what to say. How could you tell a mother that her son poisoned you? That on more than one occasion the pair of you had been fighting or trying to kill each other. "Why do you want to know?" She asked softly.

"Well," Hunith began, "I'm seeing a new side to both of you. I take it this has something to do with being in each others presence. I was just wanting to know if anything had happened." She stopped for a moment, looking into the murky green eyes of Morgana Pendragon. "You know, you can talk to me, I'm here for you if you need or want to talk."

Morgana simply smiled at the mother, nodding her head gratefully.

A daughter can talk to a mother, but there will always be things she can't tell.

Because that's what a daughter would feel best. This was not a lack of trust or closeness, but more of a protectiveness for them both.

And that's what Morgana did.

She couldn't let Hunith, a true mother, worry about anything.

But most of all, she didn't want to loose her new friend.

After Morgause had been sacrificed she had no one left to be loyal too. But that didn't mean she didn't understand loyalty. She understood it well.

Aggravaine had shown her loyalty, until he had been killed. (She still didn't know how...) But he had given Arthur fake loyalty and betrayed him.

Morgana had been betrayed.  
Morgana had betrayed.  
Look where betrayal had left her now.

She didn't want a repeat of that.

**Sorry for the long update, I've had writers block. I know what I want to happen, but I need to fill in the space between that to make it long enough, but I need to do it within a few chapters because otherwise it's too long!**

**Just wondering, did people want to see (in the upcoming chapter) more of what Aithusa gets up to?  
Hunith and a man? Or just big no on that one.  
Some magic?  
Review? :D**


	5. Chapter 5 Nightmares

**Once again, thanks for the reviews. Sorry about the the slow update, I've been coming up with a few ideas and deciding which one I think is better. This is what I thought was good for this chapter. I know you guys wanted me to get the Mergana stuff going on more too, so you'll be seeing more of it from now on. Oh, and we have our favourite dragon around too. :)**

**Enjoy!**

Her silky hair was sprawled around her, sticking to her face, as she tossed and turned silently.

_She was walking through the village, feeling at peace with herself. A feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time._

_She could see herself...but she couldn't. She knew she was smiling, but she wasn't sure how she knew. She couldn't see or feel it...she just knew._

_A laugh escaped her lips, happiness washing over her, sweeping the confusion under the carpet. Her vision turned jumpy...was she skipping?_

_She twirled round, her hair following her gracefully._

_That feeling. She felt so happy, so at peace with herself, and everything around her._

_As she spun round she saw a grin. One she hadn't seen in years now. It was forgiving, kind...and Contagious._

_Her world suddenly felt more complete just from seeing that smile. She would never forget it. It warmed her up inside, sent her heart racing and gave her butterflies._

_His eyes looked at her, reflecting the same feelings. Everything was right in that moment._

_Who was he? He looked so familiar...those eyes and that smile. His eyes were an amazing blue, they were...magical. It was the only word to describe it._

_The scene suddenly changed, leaving her in pitch black waiting in anticipation for what was next. A sudden knot formed in her stomach for a few seconds and leaving just as sudden. That bad feeling...something bad was going to happen..._

_She saw a small white creature. No larger than a cat. It had eyes full of innocence. She recognized them. Before she could think where she knew them from, she noticed something else as the small creature as it let out a pained whine. It was covered in scratches and bruises. One of it's wings stuck out in the wrong direction. Anger filled her up. How could anyone do this to the poor thing?_

Then a realization hit her.

He had saved her.

Today she would return that favor.

The raven haired boy was sleeping well, until he was woken.

He heard deep breathing and a whimper. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly. _What the hell was that?_

There was ruffling, as if someone was moving around a lot. _Oh, nightmares_...

He crawled over to where she slept, her body tangled in the blankets. Her dark hair stuck to her forehead and was sprawled around her.

She looked so vulnerable.

"Morgana..." He said quietly, his voice rough. "Morgana, wake up."

She continued to toss and turn. _The dream must be taking a turn for the worse_.

He leaned her over her, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her lightly. He jumped slightly as her cold hand placed itself over his. _She's freezing_... he thought, frowning slightly.

Her eyes flew open and she bolted up, panting. Merlin and Morgana sat there, nose to nose. Hand on hand on shoulder. Eyes to eyes.

He waited for her to get her breathing back to normal, which took a few minutes. "What was it about?"

She didn't even think. "Happy. I was happy...then...him, it was him...he was injured...I needed to protect him, I was so angry..." She said on auto pilot.

"Him?" Merlin repeated, "Who was he?" She didn't answer. He searched her eyes, as if he could somehow find the answer.

_Was it Mordred_? Would his mother end up in danger? What was it? He needed to know.

"Is my mother in danger...?"

Morgana shook her head. "I didn't see her.."

"Who did you see?" He asked again, pleading. "Morgana, please, tell me, I need to know. For my mothers sake."

She remained silent, staring into him. He vaguely noticed how her hand was shaking on his, which was still on her shoulder. He gave it a small squeeze. "I'll get you some tea, come on, we'll go in the other room."

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. As the covers fell off her body, he caught his breath. She was in one of his old t-shirts that came down to about mid-thigh on her. He couldn't help but think about how right it looked. He mentally slapped himself for the thought, though it didn't make his eyes move.

She felt her cheeks burn slightly as Merlin admired her body. _Men._

She teared her gaze away from his eyes, looking down. She suddenly noticed how he was half-naked, only wearing sleeping trosours. She could have sworn her heart skipped a beat.

They remained staring at each other, oblivious to the world around them, for 10 whole minutes.

_He kept those muscles well hidden_... Morgana mused, taking it all in. She noticed a tickiling in her nose and crinkled it. It became stronger and she quickly brought her hands up to her face. "A-cho!"

Merlin chuckled, a grin on his face. _That was quite cute...for a sneeze_. "Bless you."

She looked up and smiled at him in thanks. "Tea?"

"Uhm, tea, right, yeah." He placed a hand in the center of her back, guiding her towards the other room. He immediately regretted that choice as his face flushed bright red. "Come on..."

Once they entered the room Morgana sat down on one of the chairs, watching as the topless man started making tea for them both.

She caught herself staring at his bum whilst his back was to her. Although he didn't know about it she felt ashamed of herself. She couldn't just stare at him like that...he was her _enemy_, making the matter ten times worse.

"Here," He pushed the cup infront of her and sat down opposite. "Would have been quicker if you were making it." He joked.

She only frowned. He sighed, "I meant, your magic, you could have heated the water in seconds...um, well that's what I thought, I don't know, I wouldn't know...can you?" _Nice save_, he thought.

"Um..Yeah.." She replied quietly, picking the cup up and bringing it to her lips. She paused and caught his eye.

"It's fine." He assured her. She heard; _'I haven't poisoned it, you just watched me make it, how would I poison it, I don't carry that stuff round with me all the time-'_

She took a small sip of the hot drink, before setting it back on the table. Relief washed through her body and she let out a small moan.

Merlin chuckled. "I know, my tea is pretty good."

Morgana's lips twitched upwards. "Really? I think water from the river tastes better."

"Ouchh." He replied, a hand on his heart. "That really stung."

She smirked, amused by the conversation. "Awh, poor you."

He smiled at her, remembering the old Morgana. His eyes fell down to her chest. The top she was wearing was too big, obviously as it came down to her thigh, but it was also a little low on the top half of her body.

"My face is up here."

"Huh?" He looked up, wearing a dazed expression. "Oh..erm, sorry, I wasn't look at your, um, I mean, I was looking at the um..Tea..Yeah..."

"Of course." She smirked, "And how was the tea looking? Any different to how tea usually looks?"

Merlin caught her eye and let her smirk reflect upon his face. "It was looking pretty nice actually." Morgana raised her eyebrows, daring him to continue. "In fact, now you mention it, it did look a little different to how tea usually looks, I mean. Maybe I should double check-"

"Don't you dare."

"I'm always up for a challenge."

"I swear if you do, they will be the last things you ever see."

"Doesn't sound too bad a deal." He took another sip of his drink, smirking against the rim of the cup.

He felt some of the tea miss his mouth and slip down his chin.

"You're as bad a child!" She laughed as she watched half the drink fall down onto his chest. For some reason, she grabbed a tea towel and walked over to him. He had put the tea back on the table now, his arms spread out, unsure of what to do. He watched as her locks fell infront of her face whilst she leaned over him, dabbing at his uncovered chest with the tea towel.

She worked her way up towards his neck and before long his chin, wiping around his mouth slowly.

_I wonder what it would feel like to kiss those lips... _She thought the herself, staring at them. _Where did that come from? Psh..I meant who would want to...everyone...sarcasum..._

Merlin was looking up at her, her face only an inch from his. Her eyes were lowered to his chin. Was that his chin? No...she was staring at his lips!

He looked down at her lips instinctively, and found himself fighting the urge to touch them.

After a few minutes he looked back up to her eyes, which she copied immediately after.

_Those eyes..._ She thought to herself, Something about them..._They really are beautiful...almost, what's that word?_

She pursed her lips, a frown forming on her features.

"What is it?" Merlin asked huskily.

"Hm? Oh...your...nothing." She pulled herself away and put the tea towel onto the table. She quickly retreated to her seat where her tea awaited her.

"What happened?" Merlin asked, rolling his shoulders back with a small sigh. "In your nightmare...or vision."

He was an enemy, if he thought for one second that she was going to tell him about her visions then, _well..._

"Okay. You said you were happy." He mused on this for a few seconds, "I understand that it must be a shock for you, to feel so happy or...strange, I mean-" He stopped when Morgana threw the wet tea towel at his face. "Thanks..."

She smiled sweetly, "Welcome!"

He blinked in order to get his vision back before continuing. "Why were you happy, what made you happy?"

She stared at him as if he had just gone _'When does your period usually come round, how long does it last?'_

"Umm..." She bit her bottom lip, "I...I don't know, I just felt happy...peacefull..."

Merlin frowned. "Are you sure you weren't dead in this nightmare?"

She gave him a look which shut him up once more. "I was here, in Ealdor. I was walking, no, I was skipping and then I twirled round and there was someone there..."

"Who was it?" He leant forward, desperate to hear more. "Morgana? Did you know them?"

"I...I think so." She said, "I saw him grinning, and that seemed familiar, as if I hadn't seen it in years. Then his eyes...they were..." She paused and looked up at him, "Magical."

"They were performing magic?" He checked, a small panic inside him.

"No, I mean, his eyes were just so..." She shook her hand in gesture, "They were blue. Not just any blue. They were amazing and magical. I've seen him somewhere before."

_Oh great... _Merlin thought bitterly. _Blue eyes and the person is probably magical and familiar...why do I get the feeling I know them?_

"What happened next?" He asked, "Was it him who got injured?"

"No." She replied, leaning over as well. "It changed, and there was a creature."

"A creature? What was it?"

"It was about cat size..." She gestured with her hands, "And white. It looked so..innocent. So vulnerable."

Merlin urged her to continue. "He was injured. Scratches, bruises, and his wing stuck out in the wrong direction, I think it was broken."

He thought back to what she had said earlier, after she had just woken. "And you felt angry at who had done that to them. You wanted to protect the creature." She nodded in reply and took another sip of her tea, which was slightly colder than before.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine." Merlin shrugged, standing up. "Come on, got work to do tomorrow."

She frowned, "Aren't you going back tomorrow?"

"Nah." He replied, slowly making his way over to the other room. "I'd rather be here with my mother than serving that arrogant dollophead."

"Why's that?"

"He forgets that I don't like to be taken for granted, shall we say." He sighed, pulling her chair out whilst she was still sat in it. "Come on," He yawned, "Time to sleep, jeez, you haven't been keeping my mother up like this all the time have you?"

"Of course not." She frowned, "Well, I try not to."

He nodded in understand as she got up and for the third time that night were so close they could see each individual eyelash.

He took a step back, never taking his eyes off hers. She smiled at him before walking past to go back to her bed. Merlin followed behind her.

Within a few minutes they were both wrapped up in their blankets once more. He was just starting to get to sleep when;

"Good night, Merlin."

_Morgana_. He inwardly sighed. Could she go back to being the friend he once knew?

"Good night, Morgana."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#

**Hey, you just read this, it's not that crazy, click the button, Review **_**please**_**, maybe?**


	6. Chapter 6 The Meadow

**Wow, I love reviews! :D**

**I'm so sorry about the spelling mistakes of trousers and sarcasm, I felt so embarrassed when you all told me haha, oops. Anyway, so I'm awfully sorry about them, I'll be more careful this chapter. I can't say how excited I am about this story now!  
Check out my other story "Drunk, Wasted and Hammered".**

"I'll see you two later on." Hunith said, "Morgana, would you mind picking some flowers and getting some lavender for me? I do love that stuff. Oh, and Merlin?"

"Yeah?" The raven haired boy asked, scratching the back of his head with a yawn.

"Make sure you get those herbs for Gaius." And with that she left the house, off to do her usual jobs in the village.

"Want some tea?" Merlin asked, "Then we can go get the herbs and flowers."

"Please, sounds like a plan." Morgana replied, smiling. She watched as Merlin walked out of the room, going to make them drinks.

There was a small croaking sound. She had heard it before.

Morgana looked around the room, trying to figure out where it came from. The teatowel on the basket across the room started to move around.

She prepared herself for whatever was under there and began slowly walking towards it with one hand stretched out.

She yanked the tea towel off and breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw the familiar little white dragon.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, picking him up. "You can't be here, someone might see you."

_**That bad feeling**__...something bad was going to happen..._

_She saw a small white creature. It had eyes full of innocence. The small creature as it let out a pained whine. It was covered in scratches and bruises. One of it's wings stuck out in the wrong direction. Anger filled her up._

"Come on," Morgana whispered, "We need to get you out of here-"

"Tea's ready!" _Damn._ She'd forgotten Merlin was still here.

"Don't come in here!"

"Uhm..why?" Merlin asked, curious.

"I..." She rapidly tried to think of something, anything, "I am changing!"

"What?" Merlin frowned, "Why are you changing?"

Morgana looked around, desperate to find something to hide him in. She grabbed another basket and let him curl up into it, before placing a different tea towel on it. Leaving the basket on the side she walked into the other room where Merlin was waiting with his eyebrows raised.

"The back...I had to redo the back.." Morgana cursed herself for the terrible excuse.

"How did you do that on your own?" _Why did he ask so many questions? Could he not be gullible? _"I've never known anyone able to tie their own dress..."

She put her hands onto her back and tugged slightly at one of the ties, letting it undo slightly.

"I couldn't...Could you, um..."

"Uh, sure, yeah." Merlin put down the tea and quickly walked over to her. She turned round and felt herself blush slightly. The sacrifices she made for people to believe some of her lies...

Merlin felt his hands trembling slightly as he tied her dress up tighter as the back. "Is that okay?"

"Yes, thank you." She quickly turned back around and gave him a small smile.

Once they had silently finished their tea, both dark haired sorcerers stood up and got a basket for the herbs.

Morgana quickly grabbed the basket which held her little friend in and walked out the door, waiting for Merlin outside.

Merlin came outside looking around. He let out a small sigh.

"What's wrong?" Morgana asked, curious to know what had changed Merlin's mood so suddenly.

He looked at her, his blue eyes not really focusing. "Huh? Nothing, nothing..." He let out another sigh, "Come on, let's go."  
They walked to a field, over a hill not too far from the village. Morgana felt her stomach twist slightly, uncomfortable with how silent Merlin was being.

She had gotten used to his random comments and the nonsense he talked over the past few days. It comforted her because it was familiar. _He used to be like that in Camelot. He probably still was. He never changed._

Even when she had him at her mercy, tied to the ceiling in her hovel, he back chatted.

_She smiled cruelly."Good morning." _

_"Is it?" He replied hoarsely._

She smiled slightly at the memory. _He was either very brave or very foolish._

_Or both..._

"We're here." Merlin spoke, "There's some flowers over there...they tend to be quite nice, I don't know if the bee nest is still there though. I need to get some things from around there too..." He continued, talking more to himself than the lady next to him.

They walked over to on side of the field. There was a range of flowers. Roses, poppies, daisies, bluebells...

"Wow." Morgana breathed, "It's..."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Merlin smiled slightly, looking at all the different colored plants. "I'm sure you'll have fun picking them all!"

She smiled. "Indeed. Tell me, Merlin, what flowers does your mother like?"

He held a blank expression. "Uh..." He honestly didn't know. "Pretty...flowers...?"

"You don't know, do you?"

"No."

"Which should I pick?"

Merlin looked down at the list of herbs Gaius had given him before he left.

_Lavender_.

_Funny that_, he thought.

"Well, I need to get some lavender for Gaius, so we can both start with that." He said, "Pick whatever flowers you like. I'm sure they'll be lovely."

Merlin soon left Morgana at the side of the field to finish picking her flowers. After what seemed like forever, though in reality had been five hours, he had got everything on the list.

"How is your flower picking coming along?" Merlin asked, walking back over to Morgana.

She turned around, her basket full of all different types of flowers. She grinned happily. "Great, I think I've got enough."

"You think?" Merlin muttered, rolling his eyes. _Women_.

The pair started to walk back through the field slowly, Morgana talking about each flower she had picked.

"Oh, I made a daisy chain as well." Merlin looked at her and raised and eyebrow. "I couldn't help it, there were millions."

"Your such a girl, Morgana." He smiled, picking up a large stick off the ground.

"I take that as a compliment, Merlin." She said, a smirk playing on her lips. "You like picking flowers, don't you?"

Merlin frowned. "Picking flowers?"

"Yep."

"It's not really one of my hobbies..."

"You certainly have a talent for it."

"Really?" He stopped, turning round to look at her full on. "Since when?"

She shrugged. "I don't know...but I know you have a talent for it."

"How do you know that?"

"You used to bring me flowers. Remember?"

_How could I forget_? Merlin thought.

"If anything, you're the girl." She continued.

Merlin frowned again, confused. "What?"

She smirked. "You heard. You used to pick flowers, you're good at picking them. You fight awfully. You scream like a girl." She could have laughed at his face -_ priceless_. "You might as well be a girl!"

"That wasn't very nice..." Merlin pouted slightly, "I picked flowers for a girl, surely that changes things? And to be honest, I didn't really pay attention to what I picked, a flowers a flower. I fight better than some people, I may not be the best, but I wouldn't say I'm awful at it." He was truthful in what he said. "And I do **not** scream like a girl. Anyway, when have you ever heard me scream?"

She just laughed in response. Merlin frowned more. "I'm **not** a girl."

"Well what do you want, me to apologize?" She smirked, enjoying this. He nodded. "Tough, you're not getting one."

"Oh," It was his turn to smirk now, "Really? Are you sure about that?"

She felt her heart beat a little faster out of panic. What was he going to do to her? "Positive."

"I wouldn't be so sure, I could force it out of you."

Morgana's eyes widened. "Oh, and how do you intend on doing that?" She took a step closer so that their body's were touching.

"I don't want to have to do this, Morgana..." He whispered, looking sad. "I'm really sorry...last chance."

"I'll never apologize!"

"I'm really, really sorry then but this is the only way..." He poked her in the sides causing her to gasp and fall down onto the ground. He quickly knelt down over her body, tickling her like there was no tomorrow.

"Mer-Stop!" She gasped, laughing crazily. "Please! Stoppit!"

"I'm waiting for the magic word..." He grinned, laughing a little himself as he continued to tickle her.

She rolled around, kicking her legs madly in bitter hope it could stop him. "Never!"

"You have chosen your fate!" He laughed, tickling her neck causing her to curl up into a ball. She turned onto her side for protection which failed when he poked her and began to tickle her around the waist.

"Stop-sto-stop!" She screamed, "Okay, okay!" He paused for a moment, letting her collect her breath. "I'm sorry I called you a girl."

He raised his eyebrows. "And...?"

"And you are not a girl, you are a man." She sighed, "You don't scream like a girl, you can fight well, and you were picking flowers for a girl so it changes things."

He grinned before flopping down next to her, worn out. They lay in the field in silence for a few minutes, watching the clouds pass over.

"Hey, look." Merlin pointed to a cloud in the sky, "It looks like a bird."

"Or a dragon." Morgana mused, her head touching Merlin's in order to try and see which cloud he was pointing at. "That one over there looks like a horse!"

"It's got something on it's head..."

"A unicorn then."

"Big cat." Merlin pointed.

Morgana scanned the sky. "Where?"

He took her hand in his, causing both their hearts, unknowingly to each other, to skip a beat a go faster.

He pointed up in the sky, and she followed her arm to where their hands linked. "I don't see it."

He put his arm around her and shuffled closer so his body was right up against hers. He held her hand with his free one, making the first finger point out. He slowly lifted it upwards so it pointed to a cloud.

"Tilt your head a little, it looks like a big cat." He said, squinting.

Morgana tilted her head slightly, looking closely at the cloud, almost glaring at it. "I see it!" She grinned, turning to face him. "I saw it!"

He smiled at her, their faces mere centimeters apart.

She was beautiful. Her eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, dancing with a joy he hadn't seen in them for years. Her hair was tied up into a tight bun and she wore a cloth hat on her head. It had half fallen off though, revealing her glossy, silk-like hair.

Her skin was pale, but it glowed under the sun. Her lips were wet where she had just licked them, giving them a slight red tint on the natural pink lips.

Morgana rolled her body over so she lied on her side, staring right into his blue eyes. Her head rested on his arm, and her hand stroking the material that covered his upper arms.

They let a comfortable silence wash over them as the gazed into one another's eyes.

Merlin felt his head move forward slightly, attempting to get closer to her. She noticed this and copied his action. Their eyes flickered from their lips and their eyes.

Their lips were centimeters apart. A centimeter.

Morgana could feel a force, stronger than any force she had ever felt, pulling her in. Her lips parted ever so slightly, puckering for a kiss.

A sudden buzzing filled the air.

"Eeek!" Morgana let out a small squeal and curled up into Merlin, clinging onto his tunic by his wrist and by his neck.

Merlin chuckled. "It was just a bee. You're not scared of bees, are you?"

Morgana looked up slowly, staring at him unblinking.

"You're scared of bees?" He raised his eyebrows, "The lady who is a powerful sorceress, helped make an immortal army, overthrown the king twice, opened the veil, can fight amazingly with a sword...is Scared of a small, fat bumble bee?" He grinned.

"Shut up, Merlin." She whined, slapping him on the chest playfully.

"Oww!" He pouted, "That really, really hurt, Morgana.."

"Good." She smiled, relaxing. She lay on her back, looking up into the sky. "That looks like the letter 'L'."

Merlin followed her gaze and studied the cloud carefully for a few seconds. "Looks more like a love heart to me."

They lay in the meadow watching the clouds pass for another 30 minutes before finally deciding it was getting late.

"Come on, we better head back." Merlin stood up and held out his hands for Morgana. "Before it gets dark and we get eaten by some creature with the head of a bear and body of a horse."

She laughed, taking his hands as he pulled her up. "You're very odd, aren't you, Merlin?"

"Odd?" He grinned, "Nah. Just special."

"If that's what you want to call it." She smirked, picking her basket off the floor. A single flower fell out of the basket and onto the ground. Before she could so much as bend down, Merlin had already grabbed it and was twiddling it in his fingers. "Quick reactions there."

"When your picking things up after Arthur all day, you get used to it." He glanced down at the flower then back at her. Taking both of them by surprise, which neither showed, he tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, placing the flower with it. "There we go, all pretty and ready for the celebrations."

"Celebrations?" She frowned, following him as he headed back to the village. "What celebrations?"

"Has my mother told you nothing?" He said, "There's a celebration the night before each season starts. It starts at night."

"What's it like?"

"You'll see."

"Tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'll find out."


	7. Chapter 7 Sapphire met Emerald

**Wow, you guys are amazing! :)  
I can't thank you enough haha. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, I've had to split it into two, giving us a chapter more than what was expected, but oh well :) This chapter I think is quite long, I'm not too sure to be honest, you decide. Enjoy!**

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"You two took your time." Hunith smiled, welcoming the two back. "Go and put your things inside then come back out here, they're just about to light the bonfire."

Morgana followed Merlin into the house. She put down the basket carefully and turned towards him, watching him like a lioness watching her prey.

Merlin put down his basket and took the herbs out. He sighed, slightly upset. He enjoyed having the dragon round. He let him out during the day, yesterday they had snuck off into the woods without anyone noticing and played fetch. He felt lonley because, as far as he was concerned, Aithusia had just left him, no goodbye or anything.

"Merlin?" He turned round and saw Morgana, concern in her emerald eyes. "What's wrong? You were acting like this before we left too."

"Nothing,uh, sorry." He mumbled, "I..I lost something, that's all."

"What was it, maybe I can help find it?"

"No...I think it left. No point in looking for it." He sighed one last time before pulling his shoulders back, straightening himself. "Come on! Don't want to miss the celebrations!"

Morgana mused over what he said, allowing herself to go on auto-pilot and follow Merlin outside.

Did he know of the dragon?

"Oh!" She gasped, causing Merlin to turn around. "I need to get something, I'll be back in a minute."

She rushed back inside, a small amount of guilt filling her. She took the cover off the basket to see the small dragon wagging it's tail happily. He stretched his front legs out, making a small croaking sound. "You've got the house to yourself, everyone is outside. Stay in here though. Behave." She gave the dragon a pat on the head before exiting the small home.

"What did you forget?" Merlin asked, suspicious.

"I wanted to arrange the flowers." She lied, walking past him. Merlin decided to follow her and say no more on the matter, even if she was clearly lieing.

The pair walked through the village into the heart of it where a large bonfire took place.

"Alright there, Mandy?" A woman asked as she passed them. Morgana recognized her as the lady she had met the first week she had been here.

"Sally, lovely to see you. I'm okay thanks, yourself?" She answered, smiling sweetly.

"I'm good. Oh hello, Merlin. I didn't see you there." Sally looked between the pair for a moment before setting her eyes back on Merlin. "Ah, I see what's going on here." She raised her eyebrows suggestively, amused when the young couple frowned in ausion back at her. "Look after her, Merlin, won't you?" She turned to Morgana. "He's a keeper." She grinned before walking off leaving the magical couple confused.

Morgana looked up at Merlin. "Did she think..."

Merlin continued the sentence. "We were together? Apparently..."

"Ridiculous." Morgana said bitterly, "I'm seen with someone and everyone assumes that we're together. I mean honestly, do we look like we're in lust? Absolutely not, more like hatred, I think some people are thick as well as blind."

Merlin chewed on his lip silently as the witch continued to complain. He loved seeing her old self burst through with vibrant colors, but when she turned to her bitter, evil, self...well, he hated it, really.

"We're in lust?" Merlin asked, frowning.

"No, we most certainly are not!" She replied, annoyed at how idiotic the man could be.

"No," He said, "I mean, don't you mean love, not lust?"

She shook her head. "No. There's no such thing as love."

"Didn't your sister?" He asked softly, "Or Glorris?"

"That's family love. It's a bond. It's different." She looked around, admiring the scene playing out infront of her emerald eyes. Children were playing, dancing round the fire. Adults were gossiping or getting drunk and having a laugh. Everything was happy. "How could you love someone, it's just a great amount of lust."

"Did your father and mother not love one another?"

She ignored his question. "Where can we get drinks?"

Merlin sighed, his shoulders feeling heavy. He started walking around, Morgana following at his side. They finally arrived at a table which a man was on, selling his alcohol. "Mead please, and..." He looked at Morgana. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Same." She said, "Please."

Merlin turned back to the man. "And same for the lady, please."

He took out some coins out of his pocket and passed them to the man who gave them both a friendly smile. "Have fun."

The pair then walked over to a small bench which was free. They sat there, watching as the villagers danced around with joy, not a care in the world.

They sat silently, sipping at their drinks. Merlin sighed, bored out of his mind.

"What's this celebration about again?"

He turned round. "Huh?"

Morgana rolled her eyes. "I said, what is this celebration about? Why are they celebrating? What are they-"

"New season." He replied, cutting her off. "I told you that earlier, don't you listen to anything but the little voices in your head."

"I forgot. And what voices, I'm not a mad woman." He raised his eyebrows as if to say 'Are you sure about that?' She growled. "Shut up Merlin."

He chuckled. "No. You can't make m-OW! What was that for?" He clutched one hand to his chest where Morgana had just slapped him. "That hurt."

"Good." She smiled, "I'm glad it hurt so much."

"It didn't hurt that much..."

Morgana hummed in reply, secretly noting that she hadn't hurt him and it was playful, how she secretly wanted it to be.

"Excuse me?" Morgana blinked, unsure of where the voice had came from. "What's your name?"

She looked down to see a little girl, around the age of 6 or 7, staring up at her with big brown eyes. _Such an innocent little soul._

"Mo-My name's Mandy." She caught herself. "What's yours?"

"Amy." She grinned happily. She wore a sweet little dress, suitable for her age. Her hair was down letting her long blonde locks fall into place.

"That's a very pretty name." Morgana smiled at the girl, who now beamed at her.

"Will you dance with me, Mandy?" Amy looked up through her long dark lashes, blinking. "Please?"

The kid was good at persuasion. "Of course, I'd be happy to."

Amy grinned happily, and took Morgana's hand, leading her towards the dancing. Because the girl was quite small, she had to bend over slightly as she danced around with the girl.

Merlin watched Morgana and the little girl, Amy, dance around the fire.

She looked like her old self. Happy, friendly, caring of others. He felt his heart swell a little. He was happy with how she was turning out. Maybe this is what she needed. A new life, a new start.

Morgana eventually pulled herself away from the sweet child, walking back over the Merlin, still grinning.

"She's very enthusiastic." She said, "I found out she has a brother, Mark, and a father." Her smile faded. "Her mother apparently died at childbirth."

"I'm sorry for her." Merlin said, patting the seat next to him. Morgana sat down. "Have you finished your drink?"

She shook her head. "No, I've only had a few sips. I've been dancing."

He nodded, lifting his drink up. "Come on." Morgana smirked, lifting her drink up too. "To a new season. A new beginning."

Morgana nodded. "New seasons, and beginnings." They clanked their drinks together, laughing a little.

"My lady?"

Morgana looked up to see a man, a little taller than Merlin. He had muscle, that was obvious, and his hair was a light brown, very short. His eyes were a grey color which she immediately compared to ice when it was dirty.

"May I have this dance?"

Morgana smiled, and let him take her hand. "Of course."

"What's your name? Is it as pretty as your face?" He asked, putting his hands on her waist.

She placed her hands carefully on his shoulders, not wanting to get too close. "My name is Mandy. You're certainly quite the charmer. What should I call you?"

"Ryan. Call me, Ryan." He said, dancing her round.

Merlin watched the pair as they turned round in the most boring type of dance possibly. Hands on hips, hands on shoulders, walk around whilst facing each other.

_How is that even a dance? I could do much better than that_. He told himself, gritting his teeth. _Look at him. Slobbering all over her, it's disgusting. She acts blind to it, ridiculous. Honestly, what's so special about him? He's not even that good looking._

"For heavens sake, Merlin, don't do anything stupid." Hunith's voice said.

"Me?" He asked.

"Yes, you." She replied, smiling slightly as she sat down. "How many songs have they been dancing now?"

"How would I know?" He replied grumpily.

"Do you know who he is?" She asked.

"Unfortunately."

"Well?"

"Ryan. He's a complete prat." The raven haired boy said. "I hate him. He started a fight with me and Will."

"You were asking for it, and you know it." Hunith chuckled, watching her son as he glared at the man. The threat.

It felt like only yesterday the two boys walked in, black eyes and bloody noses each. Ryan had called Merlin a freak, which Merlin unfortunately hit him for. Merlin was never bigger than Ryan, who had always seemed to have a lot of muscle. Will had tried to stick up for him when Ryan started to punch him back, but only got hurt himself.

She then found out that Ryan had took the last bread roll, leading to Merlin and his magical abilities. He waited until Ryan was just about it take a bite and then it whizzed off, landing infront of a dog which ran off with it.

All in all, it was Merlin who had started the little fight, annoyed when Ryan took the last bread which he had apparently wanted after he had finished the rest of his food.

They had both been young at the time, but the boys had continued to bicker throughout their lives, leaving their mothers to clean up the mess and force them to apologize.

Hunith coughed, clearing her throat. "So Ryan is dancing with Morgana?"

"Yes." Merlin replied.

"For how many songs?"

"7 songs now. It's ridiculous, I mean..." He paused for a moment, mentally slapping himself for falling for his mother's tricks. "I guess it's probably about that many now..."

Hunith mused over everything for a moment, before giving her son a nudge. "Go on."

"What?" He asked, still sending death glares at Ryan.

"Go take her for a dance."

"She'll say no." He grumbled.

"No, she won't. Go on, be a man." She teased, taking his cheek inbetween her fingers, tugging it.

"Mumm!" He whined, waving her off. "Stoppit..."

"Not until you go and ask her."

"Fine, but she'll say no!" He argued, standing up. The song came to an end and there was clapping. Merlin marched right up to the couple, forgetting all his fears.

"Merlin!" Morgana smiled. Is she happy to see me?

"Morgana, could I have this dance?" He asked, raising one eyebrow, a small smile on his lips.

"Of course, Merlin." She quickly turned back to Ryan. "It's been a pleasure."

Ryan nodded, before looking at Merlin and, if looks could kill...

"How have you and Ryan been getting along?" He asked, putting a hand securely around her waist, and holding his other hand out for her to take.

She put her hand upto his shoulder, right by his neck, sending shivers down his spine. "He is a nice man, I suppose." She mused, "He didn't say much. He mentioned about you though. But your mother had already filled me on the details."

"Oh, really?" He asked, sneaking a quick glance at his mother who sat there looking very smug. "Anything else?"

"Not really. He seemed very keen to talk about you though, wouldn't shut up. Honestly, you would have thought he could save mentioning a childhood enemy for at least a minute." He smiled inwardly, taking a small liking to this side of her.

"Do you like the village celebrations?" He asked, determined not to continue with Ryan now he knew that Morgana had not found him...up to standards.

"Yes, they really are wonderful. You must have been so lucky, having these every season." She looked around in awe. "It's amazing."

"They get a bit boring after a while. Every season, every year." He forced a sigh, "Four times a year."

Morgana smirked slightly. "I think it's wonderful."

"See how long you last." He replied, "I bet you get sick of them by the time the fourth has come round."

"This time next year then." She smiled up at him, "Don't go getting yourself killed before then."

He grinned, chuckling. "I always find a way out of things somehow."

"I've noticed.."

The speed of the music picked up, and Merlin grinned. "Come on, we'll go faster. Can't be boring now, can we?" And with that they were off, dancing round the fire joyfully, laughing as they spun round, holding on to one another as though they were about to fall.

Finally the music came to a stop, and they stood there in each others arms, laughing.

"One more dance?" She asked excitedly. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"If I have to.." He smiled, rolling his eyes purposefully.

The next dance was slower, which they were thankful for as both were a little tired after dancing round crazily for the last 5 minutes.

"This is nice..." Morgana murmured under her breath. She felt peaceful and happy.

Merlin bit his lip to stop himself from grinning. Morgana was resting her forehead against his chest, her arms around his neck, his hands on her hips. She was right. It was nice.

"I agree." He whispered into her ear, smirking as he knew she meant for no one to hear.

She lifted her head and looked at him. Merlin. There had always been something about Merlin. She felt like a magnet, couldn't help but be drawn to it. A moth to the light, even if it burnt her she needed to be near it.

Even if he had poisoned her.

"I was talking about the weather." She replied firmly, annoyed at herself.

"Of course, because it's a beautiful clear night." He said, studying her green eyes. They never changed. Well, that was a lie, because they went gold when she used magic. But apart from that...

Morgana smiled up at him, admiring his face. "The stars are shining."

Merlin tilted his head back, looking up. "And so they are." He looked back at her. "Just like your eyes."

Morgana frowned, a smile tugging at her lips. "My eyes shine?"

"Yep." He leant towards her ear, speaking quietly. "They shine gold, whenever you do something magical."

Morgana smirked. "You observe well, don't you?"

"I try my best." He grinned.

She left out a soft sigh, finding the dance with Merlin...calming. _His eyes_... she thought. _They are as blue as blue. _She frowned slightly. _Very poetic...wait, why am I thinking of his eyes? This is stupid, I mean-_

"Morgana?"

_**Oh**__ and his voice..._

"Yes?" She replied, attempting to keep her voice normal.

"Just checking you were still with me." He grinned his goofy grin. His eyes blazed in the firelight, flickering with flames.

Morgana suddenly noticed how they had stopped dancing. They just simply stood there, heated by the roaring fire, calmed by each others presence.

Her eyes fell down to his lips. She hadn't really looked at them before. A slight blush crossed her pale cheeks and she looked back up to Merlin's blue, blue eyes. But they weren't looking at her eyes. She knew exactly where they were settled upon.

Look back up.. he told himself. Her lips though...no, she'll probably kill you later for this... No point in getting killed if it wasn't worth it...

He looked back up to her eyes only to find that her eyes had just flickered back down. His lips? He glanced back down at her lips and back up again. This time blue met green. Sapphire met emerald. Magic met magic.

Warlock met Witch. Man met woman. And neither could draw themselves away.

Their noses were touching. His head bent down, her head tilted up. They were wrapped in their own little world, much too notice so many onlookers, including a certain dragon on a rooftop.


	8. Chapter 8 Ryan

**Hehe, I'm so glad you guys liked it. I can't express how much I love you all! :)  
Sorry about not letting you guys get the kiss last chapter, haha. Enjoy this chapter though:)  
Oh, and just to help set the scene again after the cut, I've added a little bit into this at the start. :)**

**NOTE: This chapter was edited after someone pointed out some mistakes I made! :) Thank you for that.  
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_Come back, Come back, Come back, Come back,  
Come back to me, Come back to me,  
Like you could, you could, Like you could, you could,  
If this was a movie, If you just said you're sorry  
Stand in the rain outside 'til I came out I know that we could work it out somehow_

He looked back up to her eyes only to find that her eyes had just flickered back down. His lips? He glanced back down at her lips and back up again. This time blue met green. Sapphire met emerald. Magic met magic.

Warlock met Witch. Man met woman. And neither could draw themselves away.

Their noses were touching. His head bent down, her head tilted up. They were wrapped in their own little world, much too notice so many onlookers, including a certain dragon on a rooftop.

Aithusa smiled to himself. He had met Morgana a few times now. The first time was when he had saved her. He felt so proud of himself that day. But something told him not to tell Killgharra. He followed that instinct and was glad he did. He later found out, after visiting her to see how well his first magic had worked, which is had worked very well, that her name was Morgana. She talked to him, and he sat there, listening to her. That's what she needed, wanted. Someone to listen to her. Who could she trust better than a dragon that saved her life?

She talked about Emrys, being her destiny and her doom.

He knew there was a few meanings behind those words. Hopefully she didn't scare herself by looking at one word and one meaning in particular.

Aithusa, after listening to Morgana, had then returned to Killgharra, who started talking about the evil witch who Merlin should have killed a long time ago. He got annoyed by the fact Merlin had had so many chances at this, yet the witch was still alive.

The witch he had saved. Good thinking that he didn't tell the red dragon.

Morgana was star struck by Merlin. His eyes, his lips, he was mesmorising. Though she hated to admit that.

The song was nearly over by now, it had started slowing down, getting quieter. Their lips were centimeters apart.

Morgana half shut her eyes instinctively.

"May I have this dance?"

She blinked. _That wasn't Merlin..._

"Ryan, of course." She smiled, noticing the man who wore a smirk on his face. "Thank you, Merlin, it was-"

"Come on, Mandy." She bit her lip. She hated people cutting her off. "Come on, otherwise we'll be here all day." Ryan took her arm and got them in position for dancing.

Morgana felt there was something missing. Something, but what was it? Was it colder now?

Merlin was ready to set Ryan on fire there and then, but he held it back.

_Why does he want so many dances with her? Doesn't he have his own girlfriend to dance with? _Merlin sighed. _It's not fair._

He frowned when he felt a small tugging on his trousers. Looking down he saw a small girl.

"Amy?"

"Merlin!" She giggled, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness. "Dance! Please?"

"You wanna dance?" He grinned, bending down to her level. "Dance with the genius?"

Amy looked around. "Where?"

"Oi!" He poked her in the belly, making her giggle. He stood up and held her hands, lifting her onto his feet.

"I'm dancing on your feet!" She stated happily, "I've danced with you and Mandy now!"

_Mandy?_ He thought, _Oh right, Morgana!_

"Merlin?" He looked back down at Amy. "Is Mandy your girlfriend?"

"I'll let you in on a secret," He smiled, picking her up and holding her on his side. "I wish."

"Ask her!" She smiled, excited about the secret. "I promise I won't tell!"

Merlin smiled. Amy was a cute kid. "I can't ask her though."

"Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared of anything." He frowned playfully.

Amy tilted her head to the side, her brown curls spilling. "Then why can't you ask her?"

"She hates me. She'll say no. We're meant to be enemies."

"Story?" She asked, curious about why they were enemies.

"While we dance." He smiled, putting her back on her feet.

Morgana looked over Ryan's shoulder, spotting Amy dancing with Merlin. The fact he was dancing with that little girl instantly made him look even better - was that possible? _Surely that should be banned?_

He watched as he twirled her round, making her laugh until tears came out her eyes. When she complained about her stomach aching from laughing so much he rubbed it better, saying that he could cure her.

_He'll make a great dad... _she smiled, tilting her head slightly in thought.

_A little boy ran round chasing an even smaller girl._

_He had dark hair which was messy. His eyes were green with a tint of blue. He looked about 10 years old._

_The girl looked about 8, with blue eyes that had flecks of green in. Her hair was mid-length, thick and wavy. It was dark, the same as the boy's._

_Another boy walked into the picture, about 12 years old. He looked just like the younger boy, but his face shape was slightly different. His eyes were the same color as the young girl's eyes. He looked, apart from the green flecks in the eyes, just like Merlin but a younger version._

_He picked up the girl who was being chased and lifted her upside down, grinning goofily as she giggled madly._

_"Put your sister down, James!" Morgana turned round to see Merlin. He looked older, but he had aged nicely. He grinned goofily, putting his arms around her and planting a kiss on her lips._

_"Mum, Dad, Lily stuck her tongue out at me!" The younger boy said, pointing at the girl who smiled innocently now she was back up the right way._

"Mandy?"

_Morgana looked around, confused by where the voice came from._

"Mandy?"

She blinked. _Oh look, Merlin's dancing with Amy..._

"Mandy, are you still with me?" Ryan asked, anger clear in his voice.

"Huh, sorry, did you say something?" She asked, looking back at him. He glared at her. "What?"

Ryan continued to glare at her, obviously annoyed before letting out a sigh. "Lets go get a drink."

Morgana let herself be led away from the dancing, quickly turning round and catching Merlin's eye.

For a split second her stomach seemed to sense danger giving her a bad feeling. Probably nothing...

Ryan kept buying Morgana drinks. Drink after drink after drink.

"Look," The man selling the drinks said, concerned. "You can't give her so many drinks, she'll pass out, she's already drunk!"

"I said, another beer, please." Ryan growled, slamming the money onto the table.

The man glared. "I know what you said. I said you can't have any more."

Morgana was behind him, holding onto the table for her life incase she fell.

Ryan leaned over the table, lowering his voice so it became more threatening but for less people to hear. "If know what's good for you, you'll give me another beer."

The man just chuckled. "What are you going to do with the beer?"

Ryan frowned. "Give it to her, are you thick or something?"

"You have no-one to give it to." The man laughed, watching with amusement as Ryan looked around.

"What?" He asked, more to himself. "Where has that bitch got to now..."

He looked around the village square, annoyed that she had wandered off. He spotted Merlin, he's such an idiot, he mused, watching a the raven haired boy talked to some girl.

Ryan frowned. "Wait a minute..."

"Ryan's trying to get you drunk?" Merlin repeated, holding onto Morgana incase she fell.

"Yeah." She looked around quickly, noticing a familiar figure walking towards them. "But the man said I'll out pass..."

"Pass out..." Merlin corrected, sighing again. _Looks like he had already got her drunk._. "Come on, we better get you inside."

"Hands off idiot, she's mine tonight."

Merlin turned round to see Ryan, standing with his fists clenched.

"No, she's going home. Why did you get her so drunk?" He asked, choosing to ignore the last part of what Ryan had just said.

"Why do you think?" Ryan smirked, "She's a girl, and she's got fire in her! I had to get her drunk, she wouldn't have come back with me otherwise. Come on, I'll bring her back in the morning. You won't miss her for one night." He made to grab her but Merlin spun her out of the way, stepping infront.

"You're not going to touch her." Merlin stated, his blood beginning to boil. _How can anyone even think about things like that? Women do have feelings too..._

"Don't make me fight you, you know I could take you down in one blow." Ryan chuckled.

Merlin growled. "And you know I could take you down in less than that."

He stepped forward, meeting the raven haired boy. "Would you really risk it though?"

Merlin held his head high. "For her."

"I think I'm going to be sick..." He turned round to see Morgana, holding onto him as if her life depended on it. "Merlin..."

"Come on," He took hold of her, holding her up whilst they slowly walked away from the square. "How many drinks did you have?"

"8." Morgana replied quietly, "Well, he brought me 8, I only had 3."

"You mean you're not drunk?" He whispered back, looking behind him. Ryan hadn't followed.

"Nope. But I'm keeping up the act. That guy is weird..." She replied. "Where are we going?"

"Home." Merlin stated. "I'm glad you're not drunk."

She laughed. "Just a little tispy. Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"When he said that he could take you down in one blow, you said you could take him down in less than that. What did you mean?" She looked up into his eyes, but he avoided her gaze.

"If he tried to punch me he'd probably fall over himself. I wouldn't need to take him down with any blows." He lied, "That's what I meant."

Morgana frowned. "But he asked if you would really risk it." _And you said, for her. For me._ She thought.

"I don't know what he meant." He replied, breathing a little quicker. "How should I know? He's probably drunk himself..."

"He only had one drink." She said.

_Why can't you just believe me? Why is it that Arthur can believe the most ridiculous excuses, but you can't believe the most simple ones?_ He asked himself. If only he could say that to her. But no. He couldn't.

They finally arrived at the house, safe and sound. He pushed the door open and the couple walked in, only to be greeted by a certain dragon.


	9. Chapter 9 Dragonlord

**Hey, sorry about the long update, I've had writers block and I've been so busy too. Enjoy this chapter. Sorry if it seems short! I'm just really struggling to get everything going right now.  
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_They finally arrived at the house, safe and sound. He pushed the door open and the couple walked in, only to be greeted by a certain dragon._

Morgana left out a small gasp.

"Uh..." He needed an excuse, anything. _Oh, how am I going to get out of this one? _"What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" She asked, pointing at the dragon. "Look, I-"

"What are you pointing at?" Merlin asked. _Yes, make her think she was going crazy!_

"The dragon..." Morgana frowned, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"What dragon?" He replied.

"Wha-uh, that dragon!" She pointed again at Aithusa who sat there happily, enjoying the scene playing out infront of him.

"I don't see anything."

"Don't act like a fool, Merlin, I know you can see it. I just-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Morgana sighed. _He probably thinks he's imagining things and is trying to deny it. The last dragon was killed after attacking Camelot, he's probably terrified. _"Look, I understand if you're scared, but please-"

"Yes!" His eyebrows shot up, "I am scared about your mental health!"

"What?" She frowned, completely lost. "I'm talking about a dragon on the table and you start talking about my mental health?"

Merlin panicked. "I think you've had too much to drink."

"I have not!" She protested, "I only had three!"

"Are you sure he didn't put something in your drink?" He asked, a sudden pang of guilt in his stomach. He felt awful for feeding her lies like this.

"Uh..." Morgana frowned for a moment, taking it in. _Did he put something in my drink? What if he has? I swear I will get the bastard-_

Her thoughts were broken as Aithusa chirped excitedly, wagging his tail and staring up at them both through big blue innocent eyes.

"I'm sorry." She sighed. _I shouldn't have really hid the dragon in Hunith's home, I should have set him free somewhere_... she thought.

"What for?"

"For keeping the dragon here."

"What?" He frowned.

Morgana looked up at him. "You won't hurt him, will you?"

Merlin would have laughed, but resisted. "Uhm, no, don't worry...so what happened?"

She sat down on the otherside of the table, allowing Merlin to take a seat on the side he was already on. Aithusa looked both ways happily.

"I found him in one of the baskets. I thought he had gotten lost or something, and I was scared that if you found him you might hurt him or something." She smiled up at him through her dark lashes.

"It's okay. He didn't come in here by mistake." Merlin smiled back. He at least owed her some truth. Besides, she couldn't really do anything. He could command dragons to be on his side, they probably would be on his side anyway, or so he imagined. Would they?

He hoped Aithusa would, he loved that little guy. "I brought him here, sort of accidentally. I needed to bond with him too so..." He said more to himself, thinking back to what Killgharra had said not a month after the last war.

"What do you mean?" Morgana frowned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Morgana...can you...keep a secret?" He looked up, staring into her emerald eyes. He remembered those eyes looking so lost and confused.

"Yes." She replied, thinking to herself._ Well I did manage to keep the fact I was planning to take over Camelot a secret whilst I had tea with them every day_...

"Do you remember a few years ago, when the Great Dragon attacked Camelot?"

"Yes, the supposedly last dragon. It appears they were wrong." Morgana glanced down at the little dragon. "But now this one is. Arthur killed the last one, or so I heard.."

"About that..."

"He didn't, did he?"

"Nope." He said, twiddling his thumbs. "But, we, Arthur and me, went on a quest to find the last dragonlord."

"I take it you didn't find him?" Morgana said, stroking Aithusa. Merlin smiled at this.

"No, we did find him." His smiled faded, "Then bandits attacked and he died. But, what I'm trying to say is, well, dragonlord powers are passed down through generations, like father to son for example."

He continued, "When they die, they next person in line gets that power."

"So," Morgana mused, "You think he has a son somewhere?"

"I know he does."

"Really? Who is he? Where?"

"Here."

Morgana looked up, blinking. "You?" He nodded in reply, anxious. "I'm sorry about your father, Merlin..."

"It's okay." He replied.

"I guess you're not completely useless after all then." She smiled, attempting to cheer him up. He smiled back at her. "Does he have a name?"

"Who?" He asked. She pointed at the dragon inbetween them. "Oh, his name is Aithusa."

"Aithusa..." She repeated, causing the dragon to look up at her. She grinned, "He's amazing."

"I know..." Merlin chuckled, watching as the dragon chased it's own tail round.

"So, what, that makes you a daddy now?" Morgana teased, "Makes you sound so old."

Merlin frowned slightly. "Maybe, but you're the same age as me, so if I'm old then you're old."

"Fair enough." She shrugged happily. "Can he talk?"

"Uh..." Merlin bit his lip. He hadn't actually thought of that. He was happy with the dragon to sit there squawking and chirping away. He preferred it to Kilgharra's riddles anyway. "I don't really know..."

She laughed. "You're a really good dragonlord, know loads about them."

He ignored her last comment. "Aithusa?" The dragon looked at him. "Can you say..." He looked around for inspiration. "Morgana?" Aithusa tilted his head, confused. "Mor-gan-a."

"Mona." He attempted.

"No, not Mo-n-a, Mor-ga-na."

"Moma."

Morgana laughed, "It sounds like momma."

"Momma."

"Yeah, it does!" Merlin smiled, watching as the dragon walked up to him.

"Em-"

"Can you say," Merlin cut him off. He couldn't call him Emrys infront of Morgana. "Hungry?"

"Runghy."

"Hungry."

"Hungry." He squawked.

Morgana grinned excitedly. "He is adorable! I just want to hug him!"

Merlin frowned, a small smile on his lips. "Get your own, he's mine!"

"Well I'll get the bigger dragon..." She replied simply.

"You can't." He smirked.

"Why not?"

"He doesn't like you."

"He doesn't like me?" She repeated, raising her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Nope."

"He's never met me!"

"He doesn't need to.." Merlin chuckled, patting Aithusa on the head. "Why did you want to protect Aithusa anyway?"

"He saved my life." Morgana explained, "I owe him."

"When? How?" He asked, mentally kicking himself for asking how. He knew how, through magic. _Oh well._

"After the last war with Camelot, I was dieing in the forest. Then he came along and saved me with dragon magic. A ray of light." She gave the dragon a pat on the head which he squawked happily at.

"Funny you should call him that." Merlin smirked, amused.

She looked up at him with her eyes sparkling. She really was over the moon about the situation. "Why's that?"

Merlin thought for a moment. Could I tell her about my magic? "Because when I named him, Kilgharra said that Aithusa meant light of the sun. Ray of light, same thing." He also told me that you could never know the real me... Merlin thought with a sigh. Seems like nobody will ever know the real me...apart from mother and Gauis...everyone else is dead...apart from Gilli, but I never see him...

"Really? How strange." She let Aithusa playfully bite her finger, not causing her any pain.

"Yeah..." He thought.

He mused for a moment over what Kilgharra had said to him.

_"She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love." He had warned._

_"For in the dragon tongue, you named him after the light of the sun. No dragon birth is without meaning."_

Merlin blinked a couple of times, looking at Morgana who was playing with Aithusa happily. "Morgana, how did you know about him?"

She looked up, her expression more serious. "After the war, when I...I can't explain it, I was fighting with Gw-" Her voice choked slightly, but she ignored it. "Arthur's wife, when I was blown back."  
"I don't really know what happened, next thing I knew, I was in the woods. I was about to die when..." She smiled down at Aithusa, stroking him. "He came along. He saved me. Brought me back to life, healed me."

Merlin was going to catch flies if he didn't shut his mouth soon. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes, a little miracle." She looked back up, "I told you that five minutes ago!"

"Sorry..." He apologized, scratching the back of his head. "Uhm..."

He continued to ponder on his thoughts.

_Aithusa saved Morgana, my enemy._

_Aithusa, the light of the sun, saved Morgana._

_Morgana, the darkness to my light._

The light of the sun, saved the darkness to his light.

_My light's light of the sun saved the darkness to my light._

_Could she be saved?_


	10. Chapter 10 Goodbye

**Hey, total bummer. I wrote up 2 chapters but when I was trying to put them on seperate files to upload seperatly as different chapters, I lost the second chapter, so it will take a little longer than immeditaltley to get that up, I'm so sorry about it.  
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_My light's light of the sun saved the darkness to my light._

_Could she be saved?_

The village was busy the following afternoon. People had recovered from their hangovers and had finally come out to face the sunlight that shone happily. Most of the village had been tidied up but there was the last few bits and pieces to get.

Merlin and Morgana chatted whilst they tidied up the last of the tables.

Morgana laughed, "Seriously? What happened, that must have been horrible!"

Merlin continued to tell his tale, with a few modifications. "Well, I go to him 'Let me help you, Sire'. So I try and pull them up and then he falls backwards and we're on the floor, infront of his councilors, trying to pull up his trousers!"

The raven haired beauty let out a sparkling laugh, her eyes watering as she clutched her sides. "Oh my..."

Merlin grinned happily, watching as she finished off her laughter. Every day she began to return to her old self, everyday he found her becoming more and more like the Morgana he used to know.

_Everyday you find yourself falling a little bit more_. He thought, before shaking the idea out of his head. _No, I never have liked Morgana like that, I never will. I couldn't love someone who takes pleasure in killing friends and family_.

The other side of his head tried to argue with him. _How do you know she took pleasure in it? And the person in front of you right now, do they look like someone who does? Could you love them then? Are you sure you won't...are you sure you haven't?_

"Merlin?" His head snapped up towards Morgana who stood there with her head tilted to the side. A loose strand of hair on the side of her face. He resisted the urge to tuck it behind her ear.

"Yes?" He asked automatically.

Morgana's frown deepened. "Are you okay? You went very quiet...and you wouldn't answer me..."

Oops. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"Oh, okay." She nodded, but her frown stayed put, giving him the impression that she didn't believe him completely. "When will you be going back to Camelot?"

He sighed. He had to return there sooner or later, he knew it. He'd been putting it off, staying out of Camelot, without permission to leave from his Royal Prattiness, for five days now. He really should return. Arthur was going to kill him when he returned though. _No_. He thought. _He should say sorry. He shouldn't have spoken to you like that, he knows better. He should be grateful to you, always by his side even in the darkest of times._

Yes, he had stayed away from Camelot long enough for Arthur to have some sense knocked into him, courtesy of Gwen, Gauis and Gwaine, _of course_. He smiled a little, noticing how it was the three G's that were knocking sense into Arthur all the time. Who else could he make nicknames for?

_Arthur, Aithusa and...Albion! Because they were both linked to Albion in some way. The A team. Yep._

_Me, Merlin. M...M..._

"Merlin!" Morgana demanded his attention. "Will you answer me?"

"Morgana!" He said, "Yeah! Name someone else beginning with M-"

"Merlin." She stated, frowning in frustration and confusion.

"Apart from me and you."

"Mordred. Morgause. Why do you want to-"

"Of course!" He grinned. They all had something in common._ Magic_. _The Magic M's! Even if two..._He glanced at Morgana._ Or three were evil_...

"Merlin!" She growled, watching as he went off into his own world again. "Merlin!" No reply. She sighed, walking up to him and giving him a slap.

"OW!" He yelled, holding his hand to his cheek. "What was that for?"

"Will you stay with me for just a minute?" She asked, tired of trying to keep his undivided attention.

His jaw dropped. "Uh..."

"_Merlin_." She said, mimicking Arthur.

"Sorry, yes, go on."

"When are you leaving?" He couldn't help but notice - or think - that she seemed disappointed about his departure. He couldn't think why that was. _She should be over the moon. Shouldn't she?_

"Later." He answered, finally finished packing away the remaining tables.

"Today?"

"Yeah. I should start packing now, really." He said, avoiding her gaze as he walked back towards the house.

"Wouldn't you rather leave tomorrow?" She asked, attempting to reason with him. She didn't understand what was happening to her. _Why don't I want Merlin to leave? I hate him_. She thought to herself. _You don't hate him_. A voice in the back of her mind whispered._ Why do you want Merlin to leave?_

_I don't._

_There's your answer then_.

She sighed, noticing that she was standing alone. Rolling her shoulders back she started to walk back home.

Hunith watched her son packing his bags, her stomach twisting slightly. She was a mother, she was allowed to be worried. "Is it wise to travel at this time of day?"

Merlin continued packing things into his rucksack. "Yep. If I travel this evening and then sleep tonight before traveling tomorrow, and take it nice and easy, I'll arrive tomorrow evening so won't have to do any work for Arthur!" He glanced at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, you really need to stop worrying. It's not like I can't protect myself."

"I know, my son." She smiled, taking a seat. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. And I'll visit again soon, promise."

"I just have to remember that soon means next year with you..." She chuckled.

"I'll try and visit sooner. I'm sorry you haven't seen me in so long." He looked up at her, his blue eyes begging her to forgive him. "You must be lonely."

She shook her head, smiling. "I've got Morgana here."

He sighed, sitting up on his knees. "Yes, but for how long? How long until she returns to her path of evil? Until she continues down her path of destiny?"

"I believe that we make our own destiny." Hunith said simply, putting her hand on his shoulder. "She might not ever go down those roads again."

"We can't change our destiny. We can't escape it either." Merlin mused over what Kilgharra had once told him. The giant lizard had often, annoyingly, been proved correct in what he said.

"Really?" She asked softly, "You couldn't ever leave Camelot, abandon your destiny? You couldn't ever change destiny and go down a bad path?"

Merlin looked up at his mother, frowning slightly. "Are you saying I should turn evil, mother dear?"

Hunith chuckled, stroking his hair. "No, of course not. I'm simply staying, you could change destiny. Nothing is stopping you."

He shook his head. "I've tried to stop destiny, tried to change it. I failed though."

"Well, maybe her part in destiny has been played."

"What?"

"Maybe she has already for filled her destiny."

Merlin mused over these thought, leaning on his mothers leg. "Maybe..." A comforting silence surrounded them, allowing Merlin to think about what his mother had said. After a few minutes he stood up. "I better start heading back."

Hunith nodded as he swung his rucksack over his shoulder. "I will be back, mother. You'll see, I'll be back again before you know it." She nodded in reply before following him out the door.

She waited by the door as he ran round the back before coming back round with his horse.

"Merlin!" He turned round to see Morgana hurrying over. "Merlin, wait!"

He let go of the horses reins, a moment of instinct over coming him as he held open his arms which Morgana ran into, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close, taking in her sweet smell.

"I don't want you to go..." She mumbled into him.

He frowned sadly. "I have to. I'll come back though."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Hunith watched proudly as the pair hugged each other, holding on to one another as though they needed each other as a life line. Finally they let go, but not before staring into each eyes as if they were having a silent conversation.

Eventually Merlin turned to his mother, hugging her tightly. "I'll be home before you know it."

"I look forward to your next visit." She said, before glancing at Morgana. "We both will."

Merlin nodded, a small smile on his lips before taking his horse and saddling it. He froze for a second. "Where is Aithusa?"

Hunith knew about Aithusa staying at her home as she had returned last night to see Merlin and Morgana chatting happily over the table, the small dragon nudging Merlin with his head. She had been happy they were finally putting things behind them.

"Is he not inside?" Morgana asked, frowning.

Hunith shook her head. "I didn't see him in there..."

Merlin looked around the village, trying to find the small white dragon. "Where could he be..."

As if on cue, a roar of laughter erupted from a group of men. Merlin rolled his eyes, noticing that it was Ryan with his group of twats.

Morgana felt the scene become familiar. She gasped, "No!"

"Morgana?" Merlin asked, jumping back off his hose. "What is it?" He ran over to her, holding onto her arms. "What's wrong?"

"I fear..." She started, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Aithusa..."

He followed her gaze which led to Ryan and his group. Taking her hand in his, he marched over, his stomach twisting. He hoped, **prayed**, that he was wrong.


	11. Chapter 11 Holding Hands

**Hey, Ah, you guys are so awesome! Thank you all so much for the reviews, it's great hearing from all of you! It makes me so happy when I get the reviews and everything aha, anyway, here is another chapter, enjoy.  
I loved all the reviews for the last chapter BTW, you were all very threatning towards Ryan! Haha, thank you all of you!  
Critism, as always, is welcomed with open arms. :D  
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_"I fear..." She started, tears pouring down her cheeks. "Aithusa..."_

_He followed her gaze which led to Ryan and his group. Taking her hand in his, he marched over, his stomach twisting. He hoped, __**prayed**__, that he was wrong._

Morgana wiped away the tears with her free hand, replacing the shaken girl look with her powerful one, which she hadn't used for quite a while now.

They came up to the group, laughing away madly. She spoke up, trying to stay calm. "Ryan."

The light brown haired boy turned around, his smile bright and happy. "Mandy!" He glanced to the side, noticing Merlin. "Merlin. What's with the stormy looks?"

"Count yourself lucky and be grateful if you never find out." She replied simply.

"Um, okay." Ryan shrugged, "You won't guess what we've just found!"

Merlin snapped into action. "What, what did you find?"

Ryan grinned triumphantly. "Found Mrs. Bakes baking! She gave us a cake and some cards."

Merlin instantly calmed down, knowing that Aithusa hadn't been beaten up by these clotpoles. "Cool, what flavour?"

"Only the best she makes!" He laughed happily, "Did you guys want some?"

Morgana blinked in surprise. She had seen so many sides of Ryan whilst she had been here and so many different ways of how Ryan and Merlin communicated. It was ridiculous. "We're fine thank you, Ryan. I wish you good day." With that final comment, she walked back towards home, dragging Merlin inside. "Where is he?"

"Relax, I'm sure he's fine." He said, "He can protect himself."

Morgana sighed, swaying her arms, suddenly noticing the weight on her left. She looked down, blushing as her and Merlin were holding hands. Still. He noticed this too and they both quickly let go as though they had been burnt, jumping back a litte, awkwardly.

She bit her lip. "Can't you do something?"

"What?"

"Are you a dragonlord or not?"

"Oh yeah!" He smacked his palm to his forehead. "I could, erm, call him."

"Well?" The black haired beauty placed her hands on her hips. "Go on!"

"Right..." He nodded, taking a deep breath. She watched closely as he shut his eyes, before opening his mouth. She nearly jumped when she heard such a different voice to his normal one. He looked up, opening his eyes. Morgana couldn't help but find the dragonlord voice used by Merlin a very big turn on.

Once he had finished he looked back at Morgana, who stared at him in awe and...something else...her eyes seemed almost clouded with it. She squirmed uncomfortably, quickly taking a seat and looking down as her cheeks colored. "Now we wait." He stated, sitting back down.

They didn't have to wait for long as a small dragon popped in through the back window. Morgana sighed, "The garden." Aithusa flew over to them, settling for Merlin's shoulder.

"Hello." He whispered, patting the white dragon, who chirped happily. "Well," He turned to Morgana, "I'm off now. I've said all my farewells."

She nodded sadly as they stood up, following him to the door. He let out a small sigh, looking her in the eyes as he rubbed her arms gently. She felt a small lump in the back of her throat. "When will you return?"

"I don't know." He said, "Soon, hopefully. I'll try and come back as much as I can or at the very least write, it's hard to do anything though when you've got Arthur telling you to go do this and that." She nodded understandingly. "Just...Can you promise me something?"

"Depends on what it is." She replied, turning her head ever so slightly to the right.

"You won't go insane and try and kill everyone here, will you?"

She laughed, cursing herself as she did. "I promise."

"Oh, and..." He nodded towards the dragon who seemed to notice he was now center of attention and take advantage by hopping onto Morgana's shoulder. She lifted her hand, stroking his scales softly. "Look after him. And Mother."

"Of course." She smiled, "I wouldn't dream of them being harmed."

_Ironic_. Merlin thought quietly. _She has a dream about Aithusa being beaten like a bruised banana yet claims that...hmmm. _He gave a smile at his private joke, Morgana's confused stare and deep frown going unnoticed.

"Well." He said, coming back. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Yes." She nodded, ignoring anything her brain was telling her to do. Stupid voices. "I guess so."

"Until next time."

"Until the next time." She smiled, a sudden urge to hug him and never let go. She resisted it, she had already had enough embarrassing intimate moments with the boy today thanks to her stupid instincts. "Farewell, Merlin. Travel safe."

"I will." He nodded, standing a little awkwardly. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

He gave her one last look, taking in the emerald eyes, just in case, unaware that she was doing the exact same but to his sapphire blues.

Neither was too sure on how long they had been standing there but they realized, at the same time, he had to go. "Bye."

"Bye." She repeated, watching as he slipped out the door. "He's gone."

Aithusa sensed her secret distress and nudged her comfortingly, also giving himself comfort. She smiled, being reminded of a dog she once had, and a cat. But that was before she moved to Camelot. Her mind wandered off, curious to why she hadn't gotten herself a pet after leaving Camelot for good. _Because you were too busy planning a revenge to notice anything else. _Her mind answered. She rolled her eyes before walking to one of the cupboards and bringing out a pot. She figured dinner would be appreciated by Hunith as well.

**I know, it's awfully short! I'm sorry, don't kill me for it! I just wanted to get this bit up and everything so I could move on to the next bits.**

**Thoughts, critism any comments are welcome...well story related preferbly...;)**


	12. Chapter 12 Baby Clothes

**Another chapter.  
I've had no idea what to write latley, agh, it's awful! There isn't much going on at the moment, I missed out of Merlin's riding trip as I didn't think it was needed.  
Anyway, please review and I hope you enjoy. Spread the word :)  
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The raven haired boy strided into the Kings chambers, chucking the bag onto the table causing a ring of metal clashing.

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur gritted his teeth, sitting up straight. "Must you be so...loud?"

"I've cleaned all of your armor, as asked." Merlin replied, smiling at the blonde. "What are you doing?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "What does it look like?"

Merlin's blue eyes looked up as he leaned on the table, looking Arthur up and down. "Sitting there being a prat?"

Arthur let out a heavy breath through his nose. "I'm trying to run a Kingdom!"

"Oh, right." Merlin nodded, noticing the stress radiating off his master. "Anything interesting?"

The King returned to his paperwork, shuffling some of the papers. "Yes, remember Princess Mithian? She is coming to visit in a couple of days."

Merlin smiled happily. "I like her."

"Merlin..."

"No, not like that! I mean, she's nice, I like her as a friend."

"Of course."

"Yes."

"Merlin?" Arthur looked up, sitting back in his chair. "Have you ever even held hands with a girl?"

I was holding hands with your sister the other day. "Of course." And hugged her. "Why?" And I've kissed a girl...Freya...

"Who?"

"Who?" Merlin repeated, "That is none of your business."

"Ah, see that is where you a wrong." Arthur stood up, walking towards his manservant. "You are my manservant, therefore you are my business. Furthermore, your business is my business."

"Of course..." Merlin muttered, looking up to the ceiling.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Arthur smiled brightly, walking out of the room. Merlin followed at his heels. "I am holding a meeting later today. I have an important announcement to make."

"And you need me there?" Merlin sighed, dodging a servant.

Arthur nodded. "Obviously. It's very important that you are there."

"Why?"

Arthur rubbed his lips together, quickly thinking. "Gwen. Gwen thinks it is very important for you to be there." He glanced his way. "For both of us."

Merlin nodded understandingly as they both practically ran down the stairs. The warlocks mind whizzed through ideas of what could be so important. Arthur found quite a few meetings important, either if they weren't Merlin had to be there as his manservant unless he was dismissed or had a job to do.

"Merlin." Arthur said, knocking him out of his thoughts. "Make sure you are there. If you aren't I will have you in the stocks and cleaning the stables for a month."

"Great." Merlin noted sarcastically, allowing himself to return to his previous thoughts. _Gwen and Arthur want me there...so they are both announcing something? What could they- _He froze midstep turning to Arthur who didn't notice his manservant halt and carried on walking. _Gwen's pregnant..._

Morgana sat down, stretching her arms out infront of her. Hunith smiled, placing the bowl infront of her. "Morgana, you're awfully tired this morning." The young lady hummed in response. "May I ask why?"

"Dreams." She replied easily, "Visions."

Hunith nodded, settling herself down opposite on the table. "About what?"

"Emrys."

Hunith froze, shocked at the answer. "E-Emrys?"

"Yes." Morgana said, not noticing Hunith's sudden change. "I haven't told you about him, have I? I've been warned that he is my doom. My destiny and my doom."

"Destiny and doom...right, go on."

"He's an old man, I've seen him, met him. I have visions of, this battlefield. The sky is like a storm of blood, there are bodies scattered around everywhere. Then there is this raven..."

"A raven?" Hunith repeated, "A raven on this battlefield?"

"The battle was over." She explained, "He flys around and then I see Emrys. I reach out my hand, asking for him to help me."

Hunith leaned over slightly, interested in the whole thing. "Then what? What did he say, what did he do?"

"He said, is this really what you wanted, Morgana?" Morgana shrugged, "Then that's it. It's over."

The older woman nodded, thinking through it all in a motherly fashion. "Is it what you want?"

Morgana shook her head. "No..." Her eyes looked up, locking with Hunith's kind light blues.

Hunith jumped up, rushing to her side as the emeralds filled with water. Sliding onto the seat next to her, she held her tightly, hushing her as she cried on her shoulder.

Aithusa watched intently, focusing on how each of them was feeling. He'd stayed with them since Merlin had left, last week. Morgana had managed to get him out at least once a day to a field where she played with him for hours on end, throwing sticks in the air which he flew after, stretching his wings.

The small dragon glided over to the table, looking up at the women. Hunith, once Morgana had stopped crying, left the room with a small pat on their heads as farewell. Morgana lifted Aithusa, cuddling him as he nestled himself against her bosom.

The time for the meeting had finally come. Merlin stood in the hall next to Gwaine and Gauis, looking around at everyone there.

"Firstly I would like to thank everyone for coming here. I hold this meeting with great news to give." Arthur announced. "Sir Gwaine, Sir Leon are the only people in the room, apart from Gwen and myself."

Merlin felt his stomach drop a small bit, realizing that his friends hadn't trusted him with the news, yet trusted Gwaine and Leon.

Arthur continued, looking extremely pleased with himself. "Gwaine, Leon, if you would do the honors."

The two knights nodded as they walked behind one of the pillars picking up a piece of clothing each. Merlin frowned, confused about what this had to do with Gwen's pregnancy. _Baby clothes? _Gwen stood, accepting the folded clothing from Leon excitedly whilst Arthur took the darker piece off Gwaine.

"If you two could get the last piece..." Gwen grinned excitedly at the same time a smirk appeared on Arthur's face.

_She can't have had the baby already_. Merlin's frown became deeper. _What is the last piece? Some shoes? This important meeting to show us what the baby will be wearing?_

Leon and Gwaine grinned at each other, walking towards the crowd. Merlin stepped back, allowing them through but they just turned to him, grinning like mad men. The pulled him out from the crowd, looping one arm through his on either side as they marched him up towards Arthur and Gwen.

His heart quickened, a small panic beginning to build up inside of him. "Have I done something?" Merlin hissed to the Knights.

Neither responded, just continued to grin as both King and Queen came forward. Gwen passed the red piece of material to him, smiling excitedly.

_What on earth... _Merlin thought, his expression blank. _Why are they giving me the baby clothes? I don't look like a baby, I'm critically not having a baby either._

Arthur's smirk widened as he noticed his manservant thinking through everything, confusion written on his forehead. "Merlin, you have been a trustworthy friend to me. You have been loyal to Camelot and proven your courage. I would like to award you with the title of court advisor, if you would accept."

The warlocks mouth fell open, not sure if he had heard correctly. "Wha...me..?"

"Don't be an idiot Merlin, hurry up and answer." Arthur murmured so only they could hear.

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."

Merlin grinned. "My lord, I would be honored to accept."

The audience clapped enthusiastically as Merlin glanced at Gauis who looked as proud as proud can be. Arthur handed the darker piece to him, smiling. "This is what you need to wear when you take up the role of Court Advisor. Don't forget it."

"I won't." He nodded, turning towards Gwen. "That's why you've been acting so odd these past few days, isn't it?"

She glanced to the ceiling awkwardly. "Yes, sorry about that. Are you happy?"

He laughed. "Yeah...shocked."

She nodded. "I'm happy for you." Merlin looked up at her, seeing the friend she had always been. They smiled and went to hug each other. "Court Advisor Merlin."

"Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"


	13. Chapter 13 Headaches and visitors

**Wow. Over 100 reviews. I feel like...pretty cool. :)  
Thank all of you so much! You are all amazing!  
Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's again horribly short but I promise the next chapter will be longer.  
I had trouble with getting ideas for this one, but I've got a basic idea now. Just need to think of more really. :) Anyway, enjoy!  
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_She nodded. "I'm happy for you." Merlin looked up at her, seeing the friend she had always been. They smiled and went to hug each other. "Court Advisor Merlin."_

_"Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"_

Merlin stood next to Arthur as they awaited Mithian's arrival. "When do you think they'll be here?" Merlin asked, sighing slightly. They must have been just stood here for about ten minutes now.

"Soon. They were spotted and heading this way. Now shut up and stop complaining." Arthur instructed, turning as Gwen and her maid came rushing down the stairs.

"Sorry Arthur, I was taking a bath when I heard she was on her way." Gwen apologised, taking her spot on Arthur's other side. "Has she not yet arrived?"

"Not yet, but she will very soon." He replied, keeping his posture straight.

As if on cue, Mithian's carriage came into the courtyard, stopping in the middle. The door opened and she hopped out happily, walking towards them. "Arthur, Merlin!" She greeted warmly, "And this must be Gwen, am I correct?"

"Yes, that would be me." Gwen gave a small grin, bowing her head slightly out of habit. "We're very pleased to have you here."

"I'm very pleased to be here." Mithian said before turning to Arthur. "You haven't changed, I see. Is there any news?"

"I'm Court Advisor!" Merlin grinned, announcing himself.

"Really?"

Arthur barked, "Merlin!"

Mithian ignored this and continued. "That's brilliant. I always told you that he respected your opinion!"

Merlin gave a shy smile, looking down at the ground. She was right in what she had said, reason why he liked Mithian. Although he hadn't liked her trying to replace Gwen, which wasn't really her fault, she had a lovely personality and was someone he felt comfortable with.

"Allow us to show you to your chambers." Arthur smiled after realising no one was going to say anything else. "How have you been lately?"

"Very well, thank you. How is Camelot fairing?" Mithian said as they walked through the castle.

"Very well indeed. No attacks or wars, all peace at the moment." He added, "I hope to keep it like that." Mithian nodded in agreement.

After Mithian was shown her chambers, Gwen had suggested the two did something to entertain themselves. They found this entertainment in the form of gossiping. The two men quickly sneaked out while they could.

"They'll be chatting for hours..." Merlin commented as they made their way towards the training grounds.

"It'll be good for them to get to know each other." Arthur said. "Gwen needs a friend."

"I'm her friend." Merlin said, taken back. "What's wrong with me?"

"You want to sit there all day chatting about...whatever they talk about, knitting or doing whatever it is they do?" He asked.

"No." Merlin frowned, "I'm not a girl, I don't want to do any of that stuff. I just meant-"

"Yes, I know what you meant, but I meant someone Gwen can talk to-"

"She can talk to me."

"I meant a woman. A woman friend." Arthur sighed,putting a hand to his hand and rubbing it softly. "My head kills."

Merlin paused, looking over his master for a moment. "You haven't said anything about that today."

"It's only just hit." The blonde growled, squeezing his eyes. "I think..."

"You shouldn't think too much." Merlin commented, "Come on, lets get you to Gauis."

The king nodded, silently following his manservant -And Court Advisor- towards Gauis's chambers.

They arrived there after the long walk from the other end of the castle, Arthur with a few tears running down his face from the pain.

"Arthur? Merlin, what happened?" Gauis rushed over to them, taking hold of Arthur and guiding him towards the chair.

"I don't know." Merlin answered, "He was fine, then all of a sudden he had a really bad headache so we came here and it's just been getting worse on the way here."

Gauis nodded, pushing Arthur's head back. "Merlin, get me a candle."

Merlin obeyed instantly, passing the now lighted - thanks to magic- candle. Arthur was in too much pain too notice. Besides, his eyes were shut too.

Gauis pulled open one of Arthur's eyes, putting the candle right up to it and back again, repeating this a few times. "Describe what the headache feels like Arthur."

"Painful." He croaked out.

"Burning or freezing?" He put a palm to his forehead. "Come on, Arthur. I can't help you if you don't answer me."

"Neither. Just pain."

Gauis nodded, telling him to lie down before grabbing a quill and writing a list of some paper. "Merlin, find these ingredients for me as quickly as you can."

Merlin nodded. "How serious is this?"

Gauis looked up at him, ignoring the question. "Just get what you can, quickly now, stop time wasting." He put his hand on the warlock's back, guiding him out of the door. "Off you go now, shoo, make sure you get them all."

Morgana came into the house, carrying a basket of food. "Hunith?" She called. After a few moments she came to the conclusion that Hunith wasn't in. She sighed and began to put the food in certain places, organising it in the cupboards.

Apples in the bowl on the side, bread in the cupboard, ingredients for soup in the cupboard-

Morgana's organising was interrupted by a knock at the door. She frowned. They weren't expecting anyone and no one really came round. The knock sounded again, more panicked this time. She quickly strided over towards the door, pulling it open. "Hello, can I help?"

The hooded person looked up and blue eyes pierced into her own.


	14. Chapter 14 Druids and Decisions

**Hey! I can't believe you guys, you are all so wonderful! Gah, thank youu. :D I wanted this to be longer and it's hard to tell when you are using wordpad. I hope this is okay, if not I will just try double hard next time!  
Enjoy.  
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_The hooded person looked up and blue eyes pierced into her own._

Morgana's jaw dropped for a few moments as her brain tried to catch up. Finally she grabbed his arm and yanked him inside, closing the door swiftly. "Are you okay?" She asked frantically, concern over her face.

He took off the hood now, revealing how much he had changed since they had last met. "I'm okay, yourself?"

She nodded, hugging him in a motherly fashion. "You've grown up so much...I missed you." Her eyes scanned over the boy's - or rather, young man's - features. His hair was different now, a shade lighter and sort of wavy/curly. His face had become more defined and manly compared to the sweet innocent one that she had seen just a few years before. He had to be around 19 by now.

"I missed you too, Morgana." He smiled, chuckling.

"What are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows, speaking through their minds_. I could ask you the same thing._

"Ah." She nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat at the table. "I've been here for a while."

Mordred nodded. "A few months, I assume. Your hovel has been empty...we were worried about you." He looked up, those innocent blue eyes filled with care for the woman that helped save his life as a child. "Why did you come here?"

"I was out walking, looking for some herbs." She explained, "I was attacked by a sorcerer, I didn't even know he was there so he managed to rid me of my magic for a week or so. Hunith knocked him out and saved me. She has been caring for me since then and I've been helping her out around the village. I've got used to it here."

"Hunith?" He frowned, unfamiliar with the name. "Who is-"

They were cut off by the door swinging open and Hunith coming through, whistling. "Morgana, did you manage to get everything on the list?" She didn't notice Mordred, sitting quietly in the corner.

"Yes." She smiled, "Sorry, I never finished packing it away-"

"Who is this?" Hunith looked pointedly towards Mordred who gave her a small smile.

"This is Mordred." Morgana explained, though after Hunith's small gasp didn't feel the need to explain further.

Hunith walked over to Mordred, pulling him up so she could get a good look at him. "You are no boy..."

He shrugged. "Everyone grows up, I guess."

"Merlin has already told me about you..."

Mordred's eyes bulged. "Merlin?"

Hunith nodded, patting his shoulder to indicate he could sit back down. "I'm his mother, Hunith." She took a seat next to Morgana on the opposite side, leaving Mordred to feel almost as if they were ganging up on him. "How come you're here, is everything okay?"

Mordred nodded. "It's okay. I'm nineteen, nearly twenty. I've always lived with the druids, ever since I can remember. Then we were attacked by bandits. This was a couple of months ago now, and the entire camp got split up. The woman and children left first, obviously, and I helped the men fight them but it wasn't enough and eventually one of them turned to me and yelled at me to run." He looked down sadly, twiddling his thumbs. "He got shot by an arrow, his last words were, run. How was I supposed to deny his last wishes? I was so scared..."

Morgana and Hunith looked at each other, both filled with the urge to hug him. They quickly acted on it, hugging a side of him each. Hunith cleared her voice. "You did the right thing. What have you been doing for the last couple of months?"

Mordred looked up, taking a deep breath acting as though what had happened moments ago never did happen. "I was running and I started to recognize where I was. I saw Morgana's hovel and decided that I would ask her for help, but obviously she wasn't there. I carried on walking and came by a farm with an elderly couple and their son. I stayed with them, not telling them of my magic though. I was worried about Morgana, she hadn't been home in so long and the old woman suggested you had moved to a nearby village."

He continued, "I never told her who you were so the idea seemed good, except I wouldn't have thought of you to be hiding away in a village." He tilted his head, frowning slightly. "How come nobody has reported you or anything? Does Merlin know you're here?"

"Yes, he visited his mother not long after I arrived." She smiled, "The rest of the village knows me as Mandy."

"Ah, Mandy." He chuckled, "Nice name."

Hunith smiled, standing up. "Feel welcome to stay here as long as you like, Mordred."

"That's very kind of you, Hunith." He smiled back, "Thank you."

Hunith nodded, turning to the cupboards and preparing dinner. Morgana took Mordred's sleeve, dragging him outside the small home and walking towards the fields round the back of the village.

"Is there anything else?" Morgana asked, concerned. "Anything else that happened?"

"No, not really." He shrugged, looking around. "It's a nice village here."

Morgana glanced around, already having seen the area a million times before. "Yes, it's a lovely place. I see you've become more talkative than you used to be." She smiled, poking his shoulder.

_I_ _guess._ He grinned. _So, Merlin visited, did he?_

A small blush crept onto Morgana's pale cheeks. "Yes, he was visiting his mother. What's so wrong with that?"

His smirk slid onto his face casually. _Nothing. Never said there was anything wrong with it..._

Merlin sighed, leaning back in his chair as Gauis treated Arthur. The door suddenly flew open, Gwen gliding in quickly. "Is everything okay?"

Merlin signaled her over to him which she obeyed quickly. He licked his lips, noticing how dry they were from not talking in so long. "He came down with a sudden headache." He whispered.

Gwen nodded. "How bad is it?" They both glanced over to Arthur where he sat with his hands over his ears, his face scrunched up in pain. A single tear slid down his cheek and he let out the smallest of whimpers. The pair turned back to each other feeling rather helpless. "That's not a normal headache is it?"

He shrugged. "Gauis won't tell me anything but it's obviously not normal." He sighed again, scooting along the bench so Gwen could sit next to him. She gave a small frown of concern, taking a seat next to him and shooting a small smile his way in thanks.

After an hour of Gauis frantically running round and creating a potion along with Arthur cursing in pain, Gauis had finally fed Arthur the medicine leaving him knocked out on the bed.

The old man walked over to Gwen and Merlin, sitting on the other side of the bench. "It's not good."

"Nothing ever is..." Merlin murmured.

Gauis ignored his comment. "This is obviously not a normal headache. I fear is may have something to do with magic." Gwen, suprisingly, only nodded in response. "I don't know what is happening. I don't know what it is or how to cure him of it. I'm hoping that he will be okay after a good sleep, though I doubt it."

"Do you think it could be dangerous?" Merlin asked.

"Possibly."

Gwen bit her lip anxiously. "Is there anything we can do? Is there not someone who knows of magical illnesses?"

Merlin clicked his fingers. "The druids!"

"It is possible that the Druids may know of this. However, they may not. We can't be sure." Gauis said.

"The Druids are peaceful people." Gwen stated firmly, "I'm sure if we ask nicely and offer them something in return they could try to help us. Where can we find them?"

"They are always moving. Sometimes it is not to hard to find their camps," Gauis explained, "But other times it can be near impossible. If we get sources we could probably find them quite quickly, whether we can trust the sources or not is another question. However, it seems to be our only hope."

The trio glanced towards the sleeping Arthur. Gwen felt her heart swell slightly as the sight. He looked so...innocent. Sleeping peacefully, innocent and true. She gave a small nod; "Then we must begin our search. Merlin, will you help?"

He nodded, jumping up out of his seat and following Gwen out the room, only pausing at the door to glance back at Gauis. The man was like a father to Merlin, and he was onto him. The way Merlin hadn't talked in much detail about the time he spent supposedly with his mother. The Warlock wasn't really sure whether he should tell Gauis or not.

Gauis bowed his head slightly, an eyebrow raised. _Yep_. Merlin thought. _I'll be getting some questions later on..._

His smirk slid onto his face casually. _Nothing. Never said there was anything wrong with it..._

She turned away, feeling a fool. Only when Mordred spoke again did she face him again. "I know how we can bring magic back to the land."

Her eyebrows and lips went up in sweet surprise. "So you did come bearing news. Care to share your ingenious plan with me?"

He gave a small smile. _Of course, Morgana. I need you in this plan anyway._

A buzz of adrenline rushed through her as she smiled excitedly. "Well? Spit it out."

Aithusa watched the pair with big, blue, innocent eyes. He blinked sadly, feeling as though he had failed in his private quest. The sun sunk slowly, each bit of light being dragged away leaving the village in a shadow of darkness.

He made a small debate with himself. Stay here, find out the plan, try and stop it. Go to Camelot, find Merlin, tell him about Mordred. Go find Kilgharrah, tell him everything. All three seemed such good options, but which would be best for everyone?

The small dragon felt a heavy weight on his shoulders as the pressure seemed to sink in. He flapped his wings, taking off and making a quick decision.

He just hoped he was right in what he would do now.


	15. Chapter 15 Emrys

**Hey, I thought I'd update ASAP. I've just updated my other story, Leftovers. I'll probably try and update DWH soon too.  
Thank you for the reviews! :) I love getting them from you guys, hearing what you think. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)  
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_He just hoped he was right in what he would do now._

Gwen and Merlin headed out of Camelot with the most trusted Knights in the Camelot.

"How long do you think it will take to find them?" Gwen asked her friend curiously, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Not too long, hopefully." He silently prayed that they wouldn't be far and he would soon hear them and be able to find them. The longer it took, the worse it got for Arthur and the more danger he was in.

They rode quickly and quietly through the woods, heading towards one of the camps had once been.

_B-... ...-sh.  
No...Li-...Emrys._

Merlin pulled on the reins quickly, coming to a sudden stop. He closed his eyes, pinpointing where the clatter of voices was coming from. His eyes flew open, studying the path to his right.

"Merlin, what is it?" Gwen's voice came.

"That way." He nodded, "It's that way."

Percival frowned. "What makes you so sure?"

"A feeling." He attempted to describe it without giving them the full truth.

Gwen nodded, knowing from past experinces that Merlin's 'feelings' just happened to always be correct in the end. "Then that way it is."

After about 10 minutes on horseback they arrived at a small camp. Every dimounted their horses and Gwen glanced back at them. "Me and Merlin will go, we don't want to frighten them."

"I'm coming with you." Elyan stated, walking up his little sister. "I need to make sure nothing bad happens to you." He gave her a teasing smile which she returned, poking her tongue out before heading towards the camp, Elyan and Merlin following her.

"It's you!" The trio looked to the left to see a tall man in a blue robe. _Emrys?_ He spoke through their minds quickly.

Merlin nodded as Gwen spoke up. "This is Merlin, my brother Elyan and I'm Gwen. We came in seek of your help."

"Merlin..." The man nodded, taking in the name. "Elyan and Gwen. Of course, I'll take you to our leader." The man quickly walked to the other side of the camp where another man came out of his tent hurriedly.

"Queen Guinevere!" He smiled, "And her brother Elyan...and Merlin!" The man's grin grew. "My name is Matthew. I'm the leader of this group of Druids. How can we help?"

"The King has become ill." Merlin expained, feeling more whole now he was here. He didn't even realize he was missing anything before. "He came down with a sudden headache which is very painful. It's quickly worsened, we believe this to not be your normal everyday headache."

Matthew nodded. "You are correct. This is rare. I am sorry to say that we cannot help very much. This headache is formed by powerful magic which has been released. Magic flows out of people all the time, it is like a wall surrounding them. It can't be seen or felt and is useless as well as harmless. Although sometimes if a powerful sorceerer has strong emotions this can change suddenly. When someone changes their emotions, it happens in stages. It's never instant. However, with strong emotions such as love or hate or sometimes even fear, the magic radiates off of them like a way of protection. This is only with extremly powerful magic and is very rare."

"How did this cause the headache though?" Merlin asked, feeling guilt sink in. What had he done?

Matthew continued. "When the magic radiates off of them, because it is being performed by someone so powerful and with such strong emotions, it can hit things. Objects, people or animals. In this case, it happened to be the King. The person who did this probably wasn't even aware that they did it. This type of magic in instinctive and part of them. The magic around them is as natural as walking."

Gwen nodded. "Do you know of anyway to cure him from this, or do you know anyone else who could help us?"

Matthew nodded. "We, sadly, do not know of a cure. There is someone who will know. They are great and red. His eyes are like someone performing magic all the time. He is born of magic, a magical creature. He also talks in riddles, apparently."

Merlin nodded. He knew straight away who this was. He nodded thankfully. "Thank you for your help, Matthew."

Gwen smiled kindly. "Yes, thank you. Is there anything we can give you and your people in return?"

He shook his head. "We don't need anything in return. It was our greatest honour to help." He glanced towards Merlin.

The trio said their farewells and headed back to the horses.

"Merlin, do you know who he was talking about?" Gwen asked as they sat back upon the horses.

"He was talking of a dragon." Merlin explained, "The one Arthur supposedly killed."

Gwaine interrupted at this point from behind as they headed back towards Camelot. "What do you mean, supposedly?"

The warlock sighed. This way going to come one day. "The dragon isn't dead. He's still alive now. He attacked Camelot because it was his revenge on Uther for leaving him to be the last of his kind and having him chained up under the castle. Arthur was knocked out when fighting him. He didn't want to hurt Arthur though."

"Why not?" Gwaine frowned.

"I don't know. Something about him bein a great King?" Merlin shrugged off the half lie. "He vowed never to attack Camelot again. Then he flew off and everyone has known him to be dead, until today."

"Everyone apart from you."

"Yes, well..."

Gwaine looked up to the sky thoughtfully. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you Merlin?"


	16. Chapter 16 Big Red Dragon

_Gwaine looked up to the sky thoughtfully. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you Merlin?"_

**_Morgana...**

Aithusa sat up in a tree, watching intently as Mordred talked to the witch about his plan.

"It's very simple." He explained, "We gather groups without letting anyone know and just attack. The element of surprise."

Morgana nodded, taking it all in. "Do you think it will work?"

"Of course." He said before stopping and looking straight at her. He frowned a little, doubting her. "You will help us, won't you?"

She thought everything over, uncertain of what to do, arguing with herself. _Just take the offer, how can you miss a chance to take what is rightfully yours? _Morgana nodded quickly, obeying the voice in the back of her mind. "Of course I will."

He smiled happily. "Good. We've already gathered a few."

"How many?" She questioned, as they continued their walk through the woods.

He smirked. "About 80 sorcerers and five armies. I think we are just about ready."

Her stomach twisted unpleasantly. "When will we attack Camelot?"

"One week." He stated.

Morgana's mouth fell open. "One week?" She gasped.

Mordred turned to her, his blue eyes no longer holding the same innocence they had done when he was just a child. Guilt seemed to fall on her shoulders. Did she create this? "Is there a problem?"

"N-No, of course not. I just didn't expect it so soon."

He nodded. "Once we have the castle took over, you can be Queen."

"Why me?" Since she had been living with Hunith she had felt no desire to sit on that throne. She had been Lady, spy, Queen, wanted, Queen, wanted again. She had a feeling that the cycle would only repeat itself further. She wasn't Queen now, she was a villager, still wanted but she was protected by none other than the mother of the man who poisoned her. What if she broke that cycle?

But still, third time lucky.

Mordred frowned at her. "Why not you? You have a right to the throne."

She nodded. "Of course. I'd be happy to take my rightful place as Queen again."

"Good. We will then change the laws, allowing magic."

She smiled. "You talk of it as if it will be simple. Arthur is no fool when it comes to war, he will fight back once he has gathered strength from his fall. Besides, he has Emrys on his side." She let out a small sigh, her thoughts flowing round. I don't even know who Emrys is or where he is.

"Emrys is no threat to you or me. He will be with Arthur and wouldn't dare use it infront of him."

"You never know, he might be prepared to." She replied, "Enough of this talk now. We will have victory, no need to worry about some old fool."

Mordred frowned slightly. _Old fool?_ He thought before shrugging._ I suppose Emrys is getting on a bit..though Morgana is probably the same age as him..._

"Are you coming, Mordred?" Morgana turned round, a few meters infront of him as she headed back towards the village. "Or will you stand there and starve?"

He nodded quickly, following her back towards her present home.

**_Merlin...**

Gwaine frowned, "Merlin?" He called.

"Yeah?" Merlin looked behind him slightly, just finishing his conversation to Gwen.

"Well...what are we going to do now? About this whole dragon thing, I mean?"

Gwen now turned away, a small smile on her angelic face. "We're going to meet him."

If possible, Gwaine choked on thin air. "What? He'll turn us into toast and have us for breakfast!"

Gwen winced a little at the thought whilst Merlin just rolled his blue eyes. "He won't. He's a...vegetairen." Merlin thought for a moment. He wasn't actually sure what dragons ate. He never thought to look into it, too busy saving destiny and Arthur and what-not. He'd have to ask about that.

"Will we understand him? I mean, I thought that dragons roared, not spoke..."

"Dragons are magical. Of course they can talk."

Gwaine nodded, satisfied he would be getting direct answers and wouldn't be eaten by this dragon. Another thought crossed Gwaine's mind suddenly. "How are we going to meet him?"

Merlin smiled. "We find him." He quickly slowed his horse down so he was next to Gwaine at the back of the group, whispering quietly so the others didn't hear. "I need to talk to you later about this dragon business...Can I trust you?"

Gwaine studies his friend closely taking in the fact how uncertain the man looked, how guarded he was. The knight slowly gave a nod. "Of course you can trust me." He replied in the same volume, "Why can't you tell me now?"

The raven haired boy shook his head, frowning. "I need to show you. Not infront of them...it's not that I don't trust them it's just..."

Gwaine grinned. "You trust me more?" Merlin smiled back, giving him a playful shove.

After heading towards the mountains because Merlin had claimed they would probably live there, the group finally stopped to camp for the night.

When everyone else was busy, Gwaine and Merlin quietly sneaked off into the darkness, unnoticed. Eventually the pair came to a field about ten minutes on foot from the campsite.

The knight sighed, "Can you tell me now? Are we there yet?"

Merlin rolled his eyes. "We're here. Gwaine, I haven't told anyone this, only Gauis knows. You must keep it a secret?"

"I don't even blurt out secrets when I'm drunk." He smiled brightly, shaking Merlin's hand. "That is how good I am at secret keeping."

"I'm drag on wood."

Gwaine frowned deeply. "I'm sorry, what did you say? I thought you just said-"

"You heard correctly." He assumed, closing his eyes.

"What does that even mean?"

"It means I have the power to control dragons." Despite how serious Merlin was being, Gwaine laughed. "What? What's so funny?"

"I think you mean dragonlord, mate." He grinned, wiping a tear from under his eye.

"I said that..."

"No, you said 'drag on wood'."

"Oh..."

A couple of seconds passed and Gwaine quickly recovered from his laughter, taking his friend seriously. "So you are a dragonlord? How? Why didn't you send it away-"

"A dragonlord power is passed down from father to son. I wasn't a dragonlord when Killgharrah attacked Camelot. We searched for the dragonlord, Balinor-"

Gwaine concluded, "Your father."

"Yes...but he died. So then they were passed onto me. I used them to send him away, obviously I couldn't do it infront of anyone because I would be killed on the spot or worse, sent straight to Uther..."

"I don't think he liked me..."

The boys stood in silence, thinking to themselves quietly as the night went on. "So..." Merlin started, "You won't tell anyone?"

"Course not." Gwaine smiled, chuckling. "It's not that much of a crime I mean, it's not like you're a murderer or a sorcerer or anything."

Merlin nodded unhappily, turning away and looking into the sky before letting his strength come from deep down inside him. Once he had finished calling the dragon, he looked back at Gwaine who stood there speechless.

Obviously, not for very long. "If you did _that_ around some girls..." He started, smirking suggestively.

The raven haired boy smiled happily at his friend, chuckling at his sense of humour. He felt over the moon with how well Gwaine had accepted the dragonlord powers he had. He was surprised to say the least but it strengthened their friendship and now he was only a couple of secrets away from knowing the real Merlin and vice versa with the real Gwaine. He knew it.

Gwaine sat on the grass, clawing the green blades from the ground, clump by clump. "What other secrets you hiding then? A secret girlfriend you've been-"

"Stop right there." Merlin laughed, sitting next to his friend as they waited for the dragon. "I don't have a girlfriend." Gwaine's face seemed to light up with joy. "I used to, once. I don't want to talk about it...not right now."

Gwaine's expression returned to normal as he gave a small nod. "So...I was thinking of going to the tavern this weekend..."

Merlin shook his head, smiling. His friend loved a good drink, everyone knew that. What everyone didn't know is that Gwaine had a thing for one of the new bar maids in there. "You know I can't. I never have any time, Arthur can't get dressed without me."

"I'm sure he won't miss you just this once..."

"Gwaine-"

"Come on, birthday treat?"

Merlin looked up, his eyes wide. "How do you know when my birthday-"

Gwaine cut him off, rolling his eyes. "Pftt, of course I know when my best bud's birthday is. What do you take me for?" Merlin looked down at the ground, smiling as his cheeks heated slightly. "So come, my birthday treat? You know what, I will make it my quest to find you a girl when we are there as well!"

"I'm not sure." He said, picking up a twig and drawing swirls into the dry dirt. "I don't know if I am ready for a girlfriend just yet-"

"How long ago was this other girl?" Gwaine asked in a bored tone. Merlin looked up, realizing it had been quite a while since Freya had...died. "Exactly my point."

"I didn't say anything..."

"I can read you like a book."

_Of course._ Merlin thought in a sarcastic tone. _You can read me so well that you obviously knew of my dragon powers and you obviously know of the fact I'm a w-_

"Yes," Gwaine said equally sarcastic, "I knew, I just pretended I didn't. Tricked you, didn't I?" Merlin stared at him blankly. Had he just said that all outloud? "Yes, you said that outloud in case you hadn't noticed."

Merlin pressed his lips tightly together, making sure they were shut before continuing his thoughts. _At least I didn't finish what I was thinking...or saying..._

Before his brain could go into deep thinking, a wave of wind blew against the two men. Merlin stood up first, Gwaine following his actions shortly after. With the light from the moon and stars they managed to make out the dragon's bright amber eyes.

"Merlin." He seemed to growl, "And a friend...Sir Gwaine!"

Gwaine grinned. "I feel as if I am known throughout all the lands!"

Kilgharrah smiled. At least, Gwaine thought it looked like a smile. "One day you will be known throughout the history books."

"Well, at least no one will forget me!"

Merlin gave a huff, "Like anyone would. Anyway, back to business..."

"Oh, of course!" Gwaine jumped, shuffling a little closer to his friend.

"We need your help." Merlin started, only for the dragon to cut him off.

"You always need my help." He stated, receiving a small glare from his master. "Continue."

"Arthur has fallen ill."

Kilgharrah stared at him, unimpressed. "Have you been to Gauis?"

"Of course I've been to Gauis!" He spat out a few letters in a clumsy sentence before taking a breath and continuing. "It's a headache. It's magical though. The druids said that it is caused when a powerful person of magic is overcome with emotions."

Merlin glanced back at Gwaine as if to confirm he had got everything that was needed.

Gwaine gave a small shrug and began to swing his arms about. "Yeah, I think that was about it...Wait, I wasn't there, it was you, Gwen and Elyan!" He frowned.

"Oh right...but we told you afterwards-"

"Silence, young men!" Kilgharrah roared, growing impatient though he found it rather amusing. He was glad Merlin had someone he could trust for now, other than Gauis and his mother. He needed someone his age, which reminded him about the situation with the witch. He made a mental note to ask later on. "This is true. Tell me, Merlin, does Sir Gwaine know as much of you as Sir Lancelot did?"

Merlin shook his head in answer and Gwaine turned to him, frowning. "What else are you hiding?"

Kilgharrah ignored Gwaine for the moment, speaking directly to Merlin. "I believe you should. He has handled this very well. Sir Gwaine is strong and will handle anything you throw at him, it has been said. It was also told that he is one of your closest friends. I believe this is the right time."

Merlin waved an arm. "Later, I-We just need to know how to save Arthur."

The dragon rolled his eyes. The boy never listened to him. "You must perform a spell. It is very complex and very rare. I shall breathe it into you. Come here, young-"

"YOU ARE GOING TO BREATHE A SPELL INTO HIM?" Gwaine yelled, half shocked, half amused. "That is crazy! You dragons really have it all, don't you? You can fly, seem to be impossible to defeat, breathe fire and now you breathe spells into people!"

Merlin and Kilgharrah watched as Gwaine let it out of his system, laughing at the whole situation. "AND YOU TALK!" He added, pointing up towards the red dragon.

"If you don't mind young knight, it is rather rude to point." Kilgharrah said, a little annoyed.

"Sorry." He aplogsied, putting on a straight face and standing tall. "Carry on..."

Merlin walked closer to Kilgharrah, opening his arms and legs as if he were about to perform star jumps. The dragon closed his eyes momentarily before blowing what appeared to be a golden glitter onto - or rather, into - Merlin.

Gwaine stood there, watching with hawk eyes as he consumed to information that was lay out infront of his naked eyes to see. After a couple of moments, Merlin stumbled back to Gwaine who instinctively held out an arm for his friend to take.

"Thank you." Merlin said to the dragon.

Kilgharrah bowed his head. "May I ask what has happened to the young dragon, Aithusa? You took him home with you..."

"Ah, about that...he is probably still there, with mother-"

"And the witch." He growled unhappily. "Your attempt to see goodness in everyone and everything will be your downfall, Merlin. I have warned you about her many times in the past and you have not listened. You should know better by now, I am disappointed." He gave Merlin a look which reminded Gwaine of a parent scolding the child. "On a lighter note, I wish you luck on your quest to save the King."

"Again..." Merlin muttered. Gwaine frowned. He would ask later on. He had many questions that needed answering, just not right now.

The pair watched as the red dragon lifted his massive wings and flew off into the night.

**Hope you all enjoyed that chapter. Took me a while to get it all down on paper..well, screen...**

**Good news! No more English exams (until next year) so I will be able to update better now. (yay!)**

**As always, I love hearing your reviews. Thank everyone so much for the last reviews, it means to much :D  
BTW:: Does anyone know what dragons eat in Merlin? I honestly don't know so yeah:/ Little awkward there when Merlin doesn't know what his 'pets' eat, aha. :)**


	17. Chapter 17 Edgar and Jasper

_"Again..." Merlin muttered. Gwaine frowned. He would ask later on. He had many questions that needed answering, just not right now._

_The pair watched as the red dragon lifted his massive wings and flew off into the night._

The sun rose up in the sky, shining brightly over the small village of Ealdor.

A raven haired beauty was already dressed, sitting at the table with a cup of tea in the wraps of her hands.

Hunith shuffled into the room, pausing at the doorway and leaning against it, watching as the young woman infront of her seemed to be having a battle between herself.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Morgana jumped on hearing the unexpected voice.

"A while." She answered.

Hunith gave a small smile and walked over, pulling out a chair opposite. She took one of Morgana's hands and massaged it gently. "What's wrong?"

The glassy emeralds shot up to the warm, honest blues. A moment of silence passed. "Mordred wants me to help him find the druids...I want to help him."

Hunith smiled. "There is no harm in helping him find the druids. They are peaceful people."

Morgana's gut twisted slightly. The angel on her shoulder started to whisper into her mind; _Why lie to Hunith?_

She ignored this and continued to talk to the woman infront of her. "I don't want to leave you like this, after everything you've done." _I don't want to deceive you_. "But we need to find the druids."

At this point in the conversation Mordred entered, standing in the doorway, listening quietly as the conversation went on between the two woman.

"I understand." Hunith replied, patting Morgana's hand. "You've done enough for me. I've watched you turn over a new leaf, you've given me comfort and helped around the village. Though, I have to ask, why do you need to find the druids?"

At this Morgana couldn't think of anything, only that the guilt was filling her up. It was rather safe to say she had a very soft spot for Hunith. How weak she was right now.

Mordred smirked, strolling over to the table and placing both hands on the table, leaning over slightly. "Because we're going to lead a revolution."

Hunith's grip loosened on Morgana's hand and she stared at Hunith, concern written all over her face. Mordred smiled at Hunith and turned to Morgana. "Lets go."

"You're going now?" Hunith gasped, standing up suddenly.

"It's urgent..." Morgana said softly, "I'm sorry this is so sudden."

Hunith shook her head. "No, no, it's fine, just..." She gave a weak smile, "Gave me a shock, that's all."

Morgana nodded her head slightly, uncertain of what to do. Her stomach was sickly. Mordred shot Hunith an charming smile. "I am very grateful to you, Hunith. Thank you for letting me stay the night." He took Morgana's pale hand and started to lead her out.

"Wait!" Morgana tugged her hand out of his grasp and ran back to Hunith, hugging her tightly as her eyes began to water. "I'll miss you, Hunith..."

Hunith smiled, hugging her back with the same force. "I'll miss you too." She whispered before pulling back out of the hug and twiddling one of Morgana's long dark locks inbetween her fingers. "Keep your hair nice and clean, there's a good girl."

The witch nodded, wiping away a single tear which slipped down her cheeks. _Morgana, come on_. Mordred whispered in her head. She gave Hunith a quick hug before dashing out the door, following closely behind Mordred.

Hunith stood there for a few minutes in silence, her mind replaying everything that had just happened in such a short period of time.

A chirp brought her back to the present. Looking at the table she saw the small white dragon. Aithusa had grown more into about the size of sheepdog. Hunith rolled her eyes at the cute creature. "I've told you before, Aithusa. You are too big for that table now."

Aithusa made a whining sound and grumpily jumped off the table.

She smiled weakly and sat on the floor, patting her leg to call the young dragon over. He inched over and was soon snuggling up with the woman, stretching his body out comfortably.

"I hope she will be okay." Hunith thought outloud, stroking Aithusa's delicately soft scales. "I hope she makes the right choices." He squawked in agreement. The woman patted him and sighed. "You know what you have to do."

Mordred and Morgana managed to sneak out of the village unseen. After striding through the forest they came to a halt. Mordred took Morgana's hands in his and began to his. "_Traiceret_."

The pair felt like the were burning on the outside and freezing on the inside. Suprisingly, they seemed to equal out to each other and it didn't feel at all painful. Within second it was over.

Morgana opened her eyes and was blinded by the sudden light. She gave a violent blink and it all darkened, spots filling her vision. Inwardly growling she held herself upright for a couple of moments whilst she waited for them to fade.

"Mordred! You found the witch!" A man announced, rushing over to them.

"The witch has a name." Morgana spat, her darker side coming out to play in defense.

"Forgive me." He said, "Pleasure to meet you at last, Morgana. I am Lord Edgar."

She gave a nod. "Pleasure." It was clear to say she was not impressed by his greeting. Or by him...

Edgar looked around 35 years of age, maybe 40. He had blonde hair which was sleek and pulled back. He wore a dark cloak and clothes as if to make himself look more 'evil'.

"Is everything ready?" Mordred asked.

Edgar turned his attention away from Morgana. "Everything is prepared. We just await your signal."

"Good. I say we leave in two days."

Edgar nodded in agreement before clicking his fingers. A man came out, about Morgana's age with jet black hair that was ruffled up. He had shocking grey eyes and also wore black, just not as rich material as Edgar.

"This is Jasper." Edgar gestured toward the man, "He is my servant. Jasper, show the lady where she will be staying and tend to any of her needs."

Jasper nodded curtly before walking towards the door. "My lady?" Morgana swiftly followed the servant as they strided through the castle.

"So, Jasper." She said, clicking her tongue. "How long have you been with Edgar?"

"Long enough." He replied, all manners apparently having left once they had exited the main room.

"What's he like?" She asked, curious to what the enchanting man had to say next.

"Arrogant. Cruel. Has some disgusting habits." He pulled a face of horror and Morgana chuckled lightly. "He is always trying to get money out of everyone. He is unfair to the people. I hate him."

She frowned. "Then why are you still here?"

He gave a shrug. "I need something to live on."

Morgana nodded as he pushed open a door, smiling brightly at her. Her heart fluttered. "Your room, my lady."

She walked passed him into the large room, inspecting it. The room was a square, a bed in the middle pushed up against the wall, a vanity table on the left side of the room with a comfortable looking chair and a wardrobe on the right. On opposite walls there was a long red curtain. She went over to the bed, brushing her fingers over the materials. _Perfect. _She smiled to herself.

"I take it you like this room." Jasper commented, grinning at her.

"It's lovely."

"There's more." Her eyes widened slightly as Jasper yanked back one of the red curtains, revealing a hidden doorway. "Through here is where you can bathe. The tub is already in there, cleaned regularly and doesn't take long to fill with the amount of servants."

He strided across the room, pulling back the other curtain to reveal another doorway. "Through here is a day room, if you like. There is a table which you can eat at and you can fit about six people on. Another table for paperwork, obviously there is chairs in there."

Morgana smiled again, walking up to the window that was placed on the wall behind the bed, slightly left of it. She could see the mountains from here. "It's a nice view."

"Yeah..." Jasper agreed, coming to stand behind her so she could feel him breathing down the back of her neck. "You should see it as sunset."

"I'll be waiting."

**So, what did you guys think of that?**

**Yeah, it's short and I was going to orginally have another part but I thought 'hey, lets put that in the next chapter to simplify it'.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, all comments welcomee. :)**


	18. Chapter 18 Healing Headaches

_Morgana smiled again, walking up to the window that was placed on the wall behind the bed, slightly left of it. She could see the mountains from here. "It's a nice view."_

_"Yeah..." Jasper agreed, coming to stand behind her so she could feel him breathing down the back of her neck. "You should see it as sunset."_

_"I'll be waiting."_

Morgana sat on her bed in her new chambers, her mind rushing through everything that had occured the night before.

The memory flashed back through her mind.

_The sun was just beginning to set when there was a knock at the door. Morgana turned around. "Enter."_

_The door pushed open and Jaspers head poked round the large wood. "My lady?"_

_"Jasper." She smiled, "Is everything okay?"_

_He gave a nod, shutting the door behind him as he walked up to her. "Of course. I thought I would just remind you of the sunset and the beautiful view you can see from this window."_

_"Oh yes." She looked back outside. "It is breath-taking."_

_The sky was filled with reds, pinks and oranges. The sun was just visible as it sunk behind the forest._

_Jaspers voice interrupted her thoughts. "Would you care for a drink?"_

_She frowned, noticing how dry her throat was. She hadn't had a drink all day. It would only be sensible to have one now, surely. "Please."_

_An hour or so later the young man and woman sat at the table, laughing as they had another goblet of wine._

_"I haven't laughed like this since..." Morgana paused, frowning. Her mind had gone blank._

_Jasper caught on. "Since a long time, I guess?"_

_She nodded. "Yes." Stifling a yawn, she took a moment to look at Jasper carefully. His black clothing and hair really brought out his grey eyes, though they appeared almost silver at the moment. "Wow.." She breathed._

_"Do you wish to retire?" Jasper asking, yawning himself. Those yawns were contagious. "I suppose it is getting late."_

_"I think I will." She slowly stood up, walking over to the door and waiting for Jasper to follow her. Eventually he arrived. "Thank you...for everything."_

_He gave a nod. "My pleasure." _

_Before she react to what he had said, his lips pressed against hers roughly. It didn't take her a moment to catch on. Her eyes fluttered shut and she kissed him back with equal force._

_The night was a blur from then on._

"Oh fuck..." She gasped, her eyes watering. She prayed that kiss had been the only intimate act they had performed that night.

**Back with the dragonlord and knight_**

"We need to find the dragon." Gwen stated as they all packed everything away.

"No need." Merlin smiled.

She frowned. "Why's that?"

Merlin glanced towards Gwaine, smiling. "He found us."

"He found you?"

"Yep. We were collecting firewood late last night and this dragon appears in the clearing nearby and started talking to us."

Elyan, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up. "Really? Did he tell you what we need to do to heal Arthur?"

"Of course." Merlin replied, a little more stiffly.

Elyan waited a moment, expecting an answer. "Well, how?"

Merlin's jaw dropped. "Uhh..." He snuck a glance at Gwaine who quickly took over.

"Basic ingredients that Gauis would have. It's rather simple but, uh..." Gwaine looked to Merlin hopefully.

"But because it's so rare," Merlin continued, "No-one really knows about it. Don't worry about it, we can remember it."

Elyan gave a nod. "If you're sure."

"We're sure." They chorused.

Everyone quickly saddled their horses and the group began to head back to Camelot.

Gwen was riding inbetween Merlin and Gwaine, questions sparking in her head. "Merlin?" She asked.

"My lady?" He replied swiftly.

"Don't call me that..." She warned, giving him a look that said 'You know better'.

"Okay," He smiled lightly, "What is it Gwen?"

"How did the dragon find you? How did he know you were there?"

Merlin quickly racked through his brains. "I don't know." He shrugged, "Maybe we just got lucky? Maybe he sensed our distress and our worry for Arthur. Maybe he just knew what was happening and came looking."

"Maybe." She gave a small nod. She didn't quite believe Merlin and Gwaine's story for some reason. It reminded her of the girl who enchanted all the men from villages and the knights but not Merlin. "I wonder why that girl didn't enchant you."

"What?"

"The Lamia."

"Oh...like I said...guess I'm just lucky." He shrugged.

Gwaine sat on his horse, pondering over why Merlin wasn't affected that time. Realization slapped him. "OH!" He yelled, "I-" He paused, noticing that other people were with them. "I remember who she was now..."

"Right." Gwen said uncertainly. She decided to leave it there but was determined to get to the bottom of what Merlin - and now apparently Gwaine - was hiding.

They returned to Camelot that nightfall, Gwaine and Merlin rushing straight to Gauis. They burst through the door to find Arthur rocking back and fourth on the bed and Gauis making another sleeping potion.

Merlin went over to Gauis, whispering. "Get him knocked out, I need to use magic."

Gauis gave a nod and quickly finished the potion before giving it to the blonde head.

Merlin seated himself by the bed, his hand over Arthur's forehead.

A familiar scene replayed in his mind.

_He placed his hand over her forehead, concentrating on the magic as it flowed through him._

_"Achber borearlay melu licksa nir parshu dogr," He placed his other hand on top, controlling it further. "Pere eundre!"_

_His eyes flashed gold and the magic left, leaving him feeling a sudden chill._

_She took a deep breath in as he took in small shaky ones. He'd done it. He'd healed her._

Merlin pushed the thoughts from his mind.

"Ahem..." Gauis coughed and his eyes shot up. Gauis gave a nod towards Gwaine who was stood there, watching him in anticipation. Of course. He thought. He can't wait to see some magic, can he?

"It's okay Gauis." Merlin nodded and Gauis frowned at him. "I know...but..."

Gwaine stepped in. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry, Gauis. Merlin is my best friend, I will keep it my deepest secret and guard it with my life."

Gauis smiled sadly. "Thank you, Gwaine."

Merlin focused back on the task at hand. Taking a deep breath -She took a deep breath in as he took in small shaky ones. - he felt the magic pour out of him and around Arthur. "Curare rex potens capitis quod libras eius mentem." He opened his eyes, growling the last words. "Curare eum!"

Gwaine watched in stunned silence as his friends eyes glowed a magnificent gold before returning to their natural bright blues. Arthur stifled a moan as he wriggled in his sleep.

"It's done?" Gwaine asked nervously.

"Yep." Merlin smiled.

"That was it?" He frowned, "I was expecting something bigger, more dazzling...more..kazaam!"

Gauis raised his eyebrow. "Kazaam?"

Gwaine shot a pose, staring up at the ceiling before whispering loudly. "Kazaam!"

"Right...well that's it." Merlin chuckled softly as his friend frowned again. "There are spells which are more...kazaam."

"Kazaam!" Gwaine grinned, "Can you show me?"

Gauis interrupted the boys at this point. "Uh, another time perhaps, not under the ever watchful eye of Camelot?"

"Of course." They chorused.

**Not very long, sorry about that...**

**I'm not sure what Merlin says in S2 E5 when he heals Morgana but me and my friend thought it sounded a little like that so. (Y)**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter (Y) I was like XD XD haha. **


	19. Chapter 19 Prat

_"Kazaam!" Gwaine grinned, "Can you show me?"_

_Gauis interrupted the boys at this point. "Uh, another time perhaps, not under the ever watchful eye of Camelot?"_

_"Of course." They chorused._

Morgana sighed, stirring the potion slowly.

Mordred walked in, frowning at her. "What are you doing?"

She looked up. "Memory potion. I got drunk, can't remember…yadda, yadda."

He gave a brief nod. "What happened?"

"Jasper offered some wine. I took it but woke up with a hangover." She replied. He didn't need to know any details.

"Oh, okay. Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you…how is everything going?"

He smiled, his darker side coming out. "Very well. We'll be setting off tomorrow. Unfortunately one of his servants ran away last night and word has spread about the alliance. Camelot will probably know we are attacking by tomorrow, maybe tonight, but they won't have enough time to get everything ready."

She gave a nod, picking the goblet up from the table and pouring the silver liquid into it. The horrible potion stank worse than a pie sty.

_She nodded. "Yes." Stifling a yawn, she took a moment to look at Jasper carefully._

Tipping her head back, she downed it, suddenly hit with a warm, blurry feeling.

"Morgana?" Mordred asked, watching her with concern. Morgana stumbled around helplessly as he drew up a chair and caught hold of her arm. "Here, come on, sit down."

A few minutes passed and Morgan felt the feeling leave. Closing her eyes she tried to remember what had happened the night before.

_ His black clothing and hair really brought out his grey eyes, though they appeared almost silver at the moment. "Wow.." She breathed._

_"Do you wish to retire?" Jasper asking, yawning himself. Those yawns were contagious. "I suppose it is getting late."_

_"I think I will." She slowly stood up, walking over to the door and waiting for Jasper to follow her. Eventually he arrived. "Thank you...for everything."_

_He gave a nod. "My pleasure." _

_Before she could react to what he had said, his lips pressed against hers roughly. It didn't take her a moment to catch on. Her eyes fluttered shut and she kissed him back with equal force._

_Whilst kissing, he lead her over to the bed, laying her down upon the sheets and leaning over. She pulled away. "I can't do this."_

_He looked at her, frowning. "Why not?"_

_"Because…" She bit her lip. "Because I can't. I've only just met you."_

_He smirked. "Well, we can get to know each other afterwards?"_

_She gave a frown. "Is this how you treat all your guests?"_

_"Only the pretty ones." He winked cheekily. "Come on, don't be frightened."_

_"I am not frightened!" She growled, pushing him off of her before he tried anything else. "I'm not a whore. I will not just sleep with you when I have only just met you."_

_He wiggled his eyebrows. "Is that the only reason? No lover somewhere else in these lands?"_

_She paused, her lips pursed._

_He walked over casually. "No-one?"_

_"There's no-one. Never has been." She huffed, crossing her arms._

_"Well you won't have any problem then?" He grinned, crashing his lips onto hers. She pulled away. "What's wrong?"_

_"I've already told you. I can't." She answered._

_"Why not?"_

_"Because I don't want to."_

_"But why?"_

_She growled, impatient. She needed something, anything to get him out of here. He was sweet and all, but would be better off as a friend rather than a lover. "Because I'm on my period!" She exclaimed._

_"You're what?" His eyebrows shot up in surprise._

_"On my period." She continued the lie, blushing as she pushed him towards the door. "Now get out! Before I make you!"_

_"Alright, alright! I'm going!" He said, walking the rest of the way to the door. "Night."_

_"Good night." She watched as the door closed softly before collapsing onto the bed._

"Oh, thank god!" She exclaimed, opening her eyes again.

"What?" Mordred asked curiously, "What happened?"

"Nothing. That's exactly what I was hoping for." She smiled at him. He was still young. A young man now rather than a young boy, but still very young all the same. His innocence, she realized, was still there. It was just under everything else.

"Oh." He replied gruffly, "Boring."

Her smile widened. His childish ways were still there. Mordred had always seemed rather mature, though he did have childish qualities. She remembered going to visit the druids once and he ran up to her, hugging her tightly in joy.

"So is everything prepared for tomorrow?" She asked.

He nodded, picking up an ornament off the table. "Yeah…what is this?" He held it up, squinting as he tried to figure out what the strange object was.

"Ornament. You'll break that if you're not careful." She warned, standing up. "It's an old creature of magic. According to legends, they were very powerful. More powerful than dragons."

Her mind wandered to Aithusa as Mordred replied; "Cool…how do you know that? How come I haven't heard those stories?"

She shrugged. "Gauis used to tell them to me as a child when I first arrived in Camelot. He told me many stories at night so I would sleep."

Silence hummed in the room, neither continuing the conversation.

Morgana walked over to the window, looking out across the forest. Her mind roamed thoughts she wouldn't usually have liked to think about; Aithusa, Hunith, her brother, Gwen…and him.

Merlin sighed as they went through the forest quietly. He hated hunting for many reasons.

_Number one; It's boring.  
Number two; it's cruel.  
Number thr-_

"Merlin, wake up will you?" Arthur's voice growled impatiently. "Great. Now we've missed a deer. Thanks Merlin." He shrugged in reply.

Arthur had been in a bad mood since coming out of his headache.

"LOOK!" Percival yelled, pointing up to the sky. "It's a dragon!"

"What?" Merlin exclaimed, looking up himself to see Aithusa flying above them. The young dragon scanned the grounds before spotting her master and diving.

"TAKE COVER!" Arthur yelled as the knights all ducked behind trees and bushes. Only Gwaine remained standing with Merlin. "Merlin, Gwaine, have you both got a mental illness? Do I need to take you to see Gauis when we get back? Take cover!"

Again the men ignored him as the young dragon crashed into Merlin happily. The warlock was pushed to the ground, laughing at the ticklish feeling from Aithusa licking his face like a dog.

Gwaine laughed loudly at the scene in front of him. "Now, that is much more kazaam."

Arthur rushed out, as did the other knights.

"Merlin, just hold still!" Arthur commanded, pulling his sword out. "I don't want you injured."

"What?" Merlin managed to gasp out, wriggling around.

"I said, hold still!" He repeated, pointing the sword at the young dragon. She stopped licking Merlin and looked up with fearful eyes. Arthur paused for a moment; _it looks so innocent._

"Arthur, no!" Merlin yelled, pushing Aithusa off him and rolling in front. "Don't hurt her!"

The king frowned. "What? Merlin, it- _she_ just attacked you. I know you like animals and everything but this is a danger to the people of Camelot! This shouldn't even be possible!"

"Please." Merlin begged, "I'll go set her free far away from anywhere. Just, don't hurt her."

He rolled his eyes, picking Merlin up by the scruff of his neck and pointing the sword back at Aithusa who made herself smaller, her tail between her legs in fear.

"Arthur, don't." Merlin warned, his voice stronger and more aggressive.

Just as Arthur was about to plunge the sword into the white dragon, a roar came from around the group, bandits jumping out. The blonde turned his attention to the new threat.

Merlin grabbed a sword and swung it round, standing protectively in front of his dragon.

After a minute or two of small battle, only a couple remained.

One was battling Arthur. He quickly disarmed the King and wasted no time in attempting to kill him.

Aithusa jumped in at this point, breathing fire in to the bandits face as he stepped back in shock. She gave a nod, sitting on Arthur's shoulder comfortably. The blonde froze, unsure of what to do. "Merlin…" He said through gritted teeth.

Aithusa chirped at the mention of her master's name, attempting to say it. "Merlin." She squawked, before looking around her curiously. "Knights."

Merlin had a large, goofy grin plastered on his face. _She's learning quickly._

To the knights amazement, the dragon continued talking. She looked at Arthur. "Prat."

**So…I just found out Aithusa is a girl…how awkward huh? Oh well. I**** hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**BTWWWWW:**

**Majour thank you to everyone who has been reading this story and reviewing! You guys are...the best.**


	20. Chapter 20 Arthur's New Pet

_Aithusa jumped in at this point, breathing fire in to the bandits face as he stepped back in shock. She gave a nod, sitting on Arthur's shoulder comfortably. The blonde froze, unsure of what to do. "Merlin…" He said through gritted teeth._

_Aithusa chirped at the mention of her master's name, attempting to say it. "Merlin." She squawked, before looking around her curiously. "Knights."_

_Merlin had a large, goofy grin plastered on his face. She's learning quickly._

_To the knights amazement, the dragon continued talking. She looked at Arthur. "Prat."_

A burst of laughter roared through the forest as the knights of Camelot cried and held their stomachs, rolling on the floor.

Arthur froze, his heart beating quickly in his chest.

The laughter soon died down, everyone breathing heavily trying to catch their breath.

"Oh, come on Arthur." Leon chuckled, "Don't get upset, it's just a dragon."

Percival nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it doesn't know any better. It probably just picked it up somewhere."

Arthur slowly gave a small nod. "Must have picked it up somewhere... It knew you were all knights."

Merlin stood, shifting his weight nervously. He's going to figure out, oh gosh, this can't be happening...

Leon shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe someone taught him what knights look like. Like Perc said, he probably just picked it up somewhere."

Aithusa, feeling ignored during this, nudged Arthur and nestled into his neck. She let out, what sounded like, a purr.

"Picked it up..." Arthur muttered, almost trying to make him self believe it. "Could have been anywhere, doesn't mean anything." Merlin relaxed, his heart returning to it's normal pace. "What do we do?"

Everyone stared at Arthur.

The blonde frowned; "What?"

Leon shuffled his feet. "You're king."

"Right." Arthur nodded, his normal self coming back. "So, we slay the beast?"

"No!" Merlin and Gwaine cried, stepping forward side by side.

Arthur raised hiss eyebrows, strolling towards them. "Well, why ever not?"

"Uhmm..." Gwaine's mouth opened and closed again repeatedly.

"Because..." Merlin started, biting his lip. "Because it's a baby...and we could...train it...so it's on your side! Yes! That's it!"

The pair of blue eyes locked, both treading carefully. "We would need a dragonlord."

"We'll find one..."

"The last one died in front of us, remember?"

For a split second, Merlin's eyes glazed over, filled with sadness, ready to pour out a million tears a million times over. It was gone so quickly, Arthur wasn't even sure it he had seen it.

"Maybe..." Merlin started, "We don't need a dragonlord. Look, she likes you, she'll listen to you. She already protected you, why not train her?"

His stomach twisted nervously, ever hopeful. He wanted to spend time with Aithusa, time he hadn't managed to make because he had been too busy with Camelot.

"You're right!" Arthur laughed, patting Aithusa on the head. Everyone looked up in shock. "Did you say it was a she? Well, she is coming back with us."

**Back to where Morgana is...**

Morgana bit her lip, resisting the temptation to roll her eyes.

Here she was having tea with King Edgar and Mordred, Jasper serving them. He kept trying to sneak her glances which she purposefully ignored, making sure not to make any eye contact with him.

"I wish you both luck tomorrow." Edgar said, smiling at them. "You are sure to take Camelot by storm."

Morgana nodded, putting on a smile in return. "We won't need luck."

Edgar laughed, stabbing his fork into the chicken on his plate. "You have a sense of humour, Morgana...I like it."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jasper shift uncertainly. She continued to make no acknowledgement of him.

The only sounds were the knifes and fork scraping the plate occasionally, the constant chewing of food or odd slush of wine as it poured into one's mouth.

"You're army is ready?" Mordred asked, finishing his dinner quickly.

Edgar nodded. "Couldn't be more prepared if we tried. We have three armies here, the other two will be meeting you halfway there."

Mordred nodded in response before Edgar posed a question; "How long will it take you to arrive in Camelot?"

Morgana looked up curiously at Mordred, who was leaning back in his chair happily, full and satisfied. "If we leave tomorrow, as planned, we should arrive there in two days. It's not far."

Once she had finished her dinner, which hadn't been long after Mordred himself who ate like her ignorant half-brother, she retired to her chambers.

She lay in bed, her mind once again wandering off.

A small smile crept onto her face; She would soon have her revenge.

**Meanwhile, in Camelot...**

Merlin, Arthur, Gauis and Gwen all sat in Arthur's chambers.

Aithusa was curled at the foot of his bed, sleeping peacefully.

"She's adorable." Gwen smiled, her eyes resting upon the sleeping dragon. "How could you even think of hurting her?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Arthur replied, "It's just the last time a dragon was in Camelot, it wasn't exactly friendly, was it?"

"He had been cooped up under the castle though, for many years. Everyone gets angry..." Gwen looked up, her brown eyes challenging Arthur's blue. "Nobody is perfect, we all have a dark side. Who knows, maybe that dragon is just as nice as her." She nodded towards Aithusa.

Trust me; Merlin thought to himself. Kilgharrah is nowhere near as nice as Aithusa...the stupid lizard gives me riddles that hardly help, he has tricked me...

"She needs a name." Gauis noted outloud.

"How about Dragon?" Arthur suggested.

"Wow," Merlin mocked, "You are just so creative!"

"Well can you think of anything better?"

"Yep."

"Go on."

"Aithusa." Merlin gave a nod; He had won this, hands down.

Gwen smiled. "I like that...Aithusa."

"I still think Dragon was good..." Arthur mumbled to himself.

"Gauis...you said you knew about dragons?" Gwen inquired.

Merlin smirked. "Well he's been around since them, of course he does."

"Merlin!" Gauis snapped, whacking him round the head. "I'm not that old!"

"Ow!" He complained, rubbing the back of his head.

Gauis turned back to Gwen, his face softening. "Yes, I know about dragons. What is it you would like to know?"

Arthur chose this moment to make a swift exit. "Merlin, come on!" He ordered, standing up.

"Where are we going?" Merlin asked, following him out the door.

"No where."

"No where..?" Merlin frowned, shutting the door behind him.

"No where." The blonde confirmed, before walking down random corridors, Merlin jogging to catch up after him. "We need to talk."

"Are you sacking me?" He squeaked.

"What?" Arthur frowned, coming to a halt. "Why would I sack you, Merlin?"

"I don't know..."

"I probably should." He continued, "But I'm not."

Merlin shifted his weight on to his other leg, looking down at his feet. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"I think you know."

"I do?" He asked, looking back up.

Arthur nodded. "Yes...that dragon...Aithusa."

"Yes..."

A moment of silence passed before Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug. "I'm sorry, I didn't know Balinor was your father. You're a dragonlord too, aren't you? That's why you cried...I told you that no man was worth your tears, but he is, he was...I'm sorry."

Merlin pulled back, searching Arthur's guilt ridden face. "How long have you known?"

The king rolled his eyes, his usual expression shifting back in place. "You are the only person who calls me a prat. It's not hard to tell where she picked that up from."

Merlin grinned a goofy grin. "Yeah, I guess..."

Arthur caught his manservant's eye. "I want you to train her. When I train with the knights, you train with her. I want her to become familiar with people. Heck, I want to give you the title of Court Dragonlord now, I'm not even sure if that is real..."

"Why aren't you reacting all...badly?" Merlin asked curiously. He wondered, with high hopes, if Arthur would accept his magic this way.

"Because you don't control who your father is, you are loyal to Camelot, right down to the bone." He explained, "Aithusa seems good, and just as loyal as you...Gwen has become attached to her already and...you're my friend." His gaze become fiercer. "Don't tell anyone I said that."

Merlin grinned, his heart satisfied. He knew he was on the right track for Albion.

Better yet, his friendship with Arthur was still intact, maybe stronger than before.

**So...love it, hate it?**

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**The reviews! You guys are just amazing! :') Lemme cry a minute...no jokes I was so over-whelmed by all of them! I love you all so much *big hug and cookies all round..and cake...and pizza***

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**I'm glad to know you all liked the last chapter :) Gah! :D**

**Also, to everyone about the Aithusa Gender...**

I thought she was a boy too...then it was confirmed that she was infact a girl, so the gender debate is over...and because of that she has become a girl in this too.

**Or we can put it down to magic.**

Either way... Anyway, again, MAJOUR thanks to everyone! You guys are amazing!  
And also the everyone who has commented on chapters before,  
everyone following the story,  
everyone who favourited the story,  
Everyone who read this.

**P.S...BTW...My tumblr (yep, i got it and I've figured out how to use it!) is the same as my fanfiction (TJTMaria) so yeah. A lot of Mergana on there...obviously... ;)**


	21. Chapter 21 Halfway

_"Because you don't control who your father is, you are loyal to Camelot, right down to the bone." He explained, "Aithusa seems good, and just as loyal as you...Gwen has become attached to her already and...you're my friend." His gaze become fiercer. "Don't tell anyone I said that."_

_Merlin grinned, his heart satisfied. He knew he was on the right track for Albion._

_Better yet, his friendship with Arthur was still intact, maybe stronger than before._

**Back to Morgana...**

Morgana rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up.

"Tired, Morgana?" Mordred asked from her side as they trotted in front of the armies. "I heard Jasper-"

"I'm just tired, that's all." She replied, ignoring his last comment.

He only smirked in response. "Does it have anything to do with Jasper by chance?"

"Nothing has happened. Nothing is happening. Nothing will happen." She growled, frowning at the mention of the stupid servant. It had been a mistake, a drunken mistake. "Now shut up before I throw you into the mud."

He gave a child-like grin before turning his attention back to the path ahead. He enjoyed Morgana's company, knowing that her ''threats'' weren't really that bad. In some ways she still treated him as a child, making small comments like 'throwing him into the mud'. He was sure that had that been anyone else saying that, they would be flying through the air or on fire by now.

**Back to Camelot...**

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled, pulling open the curtains. "Arthur, wake up!" The manservant turned to face the King who was half asleep, growling in annoyance. "Arthur you prat!" He hissed, pulling off the covers.

Arthur reacted instantly, curling up from the sudden draft. "Arh- Merlin! What is the meaning of this?"

"Get up!" Merlin replied, grabbing his arm and heaving him onto his feet. He quickly ran to the dresser, snatching a tunic and trousers. "A servant from King Edgar sneaked out and requests an audience with you immeditaly."

Arthur let Merlin dress him, his mind somewhere else as he thought about what the servant could want. Why had they sneaked out? What's so urgent?

After a few minutes Arthur was dressed and the King and Manservant strode down the corridor side by side, a air of power around them.

Once the court had started, the servant came into the room looking panic striken. Arthud stood. "What is it?"

"King Edgar has teamed up with a man called Mordred. They have five armies and are probably on their way here as we speak." She quickly explained, getting straight to buisness.

Arthur nodded, turning to Gwen slightly. "Right, we need-"

The servant stopped him. "There's one more thing you should know, sire." Arthur turned his attention back to her, curious. "They have recently brought in a witch to help them. She goes by the name of Morgana."

Arthur like out a sigh. Of course his sister would be involved. He couldn't understand why she hated him and everyone in Camelot so much. Why did she want the throne so badly? Why did she want them all dead? Those were some of the questions he wanted answering. Somehow, he would get those answers.

The King gave a nod. "Thank you for telling us this. We are most grateful for your bravery. I understand it can't have been easy to...sneak away."

Gwen stood, everyone turning towards her. "Do you require a place to stay? We have guest chambers here, feel free to use them until you can settle down."

The servant gave Gwen a grateful smile. "Thank you, my lady. It is most kind."

Arthur then got straight to buisness, ordering for the villagers to come into the castle so they would be safe and for all the men to get ready.

"Arthur." Gwen spoke, touching his arm. It sent shivers down his back. "Stay safe."

"I always am." He whispered, smiling slightly.

She smiled back. "You do have a lot of _luck_ on your side."

Before he could ask her what she was on about, she pressed her lips to his, forcing him to be quiet. Seconds later she broke off, leaving the room so she could go help where needed. He couldn't help but smile; How wonderful his wife was, how fit to be queen at his side.

By nightfall every one of the villagers had been evacuated to inside the castle. They had everything prepared; Gauis ready with his medicines to heal anyone, the knights prepared and taking it in turns to sleep, the cooks handing out food and energizing food to the knights. Everything was prepared.

Merlin sat on a table in the corner of the room, thinking to himself. So Morgana had turned back to her old ways. Maybe he should listen to Kilgharrah more. He gritted his teeth; he would not let a single tear fall. He had let too many fall over the years. He needed to save them. Besides, men shouldn't cry. Men only cry when things really matter, when something awful happens.

_But this is awful._ He growled. No, he would not shed a tear for her. The woman who was just a shadow of her former self. You didn't cry over shadows.

"Merlin!" A cheery voice greeted as the source of the sound took the seat next to him, plonking themselves down. "What's up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Tired, that's all."

Gwaine chuckled, putting an arm around his friend and pulling him a little closer. "You can't hide anything from me!"

Merlin smiled a little; _If only he knew._

"Are you scared?" He asked, attempting to guess at what was wrong. "It's okay, we've got a dragon on our side! Speaking of which, where is the little rascal?"

Merlin finally looked up, his eyes dry. "I sent her to give my mum a letter. She'll be back soon."

Gwaine slowly nodded. _He's lying._ A voice in the back of his head seemed to say, _The dragon isn't delivering a letter to his mum. She's got another quest, a secret one. Merlin won't tell me though._

The knight kept quiet, accepting the lie as a something that was needed and he shouldn't question.

**_Back to the armies heading towards Camelot...**

They had made camp for the knight on a large field. Mordred had said that they needed to be well rested if they were to take Camelot.

Morgana went for a walk by herself, enjoying her own company. She found a river and sat down next to it, her feet in the water.

She jumped as a squawk reached her ears. She twisted her body round, surprised to see Aithusa. "Hello." She whispered softly, reaching out a hand to pat her.

The young dragon immeditaly shuffled closer, pressing her head against Morgana's palm. Morgana smiled but she was confused as to why the dragon was here. She voiced her question.

Aithusa paused, wriggling about into a comfortable sitting position before staring at Morgana with an intense gaze.

_Morgana._ The witch gasped a little as Aithusa talked to her through the mind, much like Mordred often did. _Why are you doing this?_

Morgana focused on replying back in the same form. _It's the only way magic can return! You'll be able to fly free-_

_I already fly free._

_What? What do you mean?_

_Arthur knows of me. He knows of Merlin being a dragonlord._

_Oh god..._

_No! It's a good thing. We are a step closer to the destiny that has been foretold many times throughout centuries._

_Destiny? And how is that good?_

_Arthur accepted us both. Gwen certianlly helped and has welcomed me and Merlin's new side with open arms. You don't need a war._

_It's not a war. I'm taking over Camelot and then lifting the ban on magic! People deserve it, they aren't evil!_

_You don't need to take over Camelot, Morgana. It's sad, you know..._

_What is?_

_You are fighting against what you are fighting for. You have heard of Emrys?_

_...He is my destiny and my doom. He is a traitor to our kin._

_No, he is not. He wants magic to be free once more, he has been working at it for years. The problem is everytime he comes close, you make something like a war and prove magic to be used in bad ways. You've got to stop, you must join forces. Arthur is the only one who can unite the lands of Albion in peace._

_How do you know?_

_I'm a dragon. I know everything._

Aithusa rolled her innocent blue eyes happily, giving another squawk before flapping her wings and taking off into the night. Morgana was left feeling more confused than she possibly ever had before.

**I know, long update time! Sorry!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, not much really happened. It's a bit of a filler chapter. Either way, hopefully you all liked it.**

**I love hearing from you all and what you thought :)**

**P.S Check out my latest story ''The Queen's Ward.''**


	22. Chapter 22 The Heart Never Lies

_How do you know?_

_I'm a dragon. I know everything._

_Aithusa rolled her innocent blue eyes happily, giving another squawk before flapping her wings and taking off into the night. Morgana was left feeling more confused than she possibly ever had before._

The witch stumbled back to the camps, the darkness not helping as she tripped over tree roots. After a minute or two she mentally kicked herself. "You're a witch, you have magic..." She growled before muttering a spell and a orb of light floated infront, lighting the forest around around her.

Once she had finally arrived back at the camp, Mordred looked up. He had been waiting by the small fire for her to return.

"Mordred," She said, "What are you still doing up? You should be asleep...big day tomorrow."

He didn't appear to react to her words. "I was waiting for you, Morgana."

"Oh." She felt a little guilty, walking off without telling anyone yet Mordred stayed up to wait for her. "Well, I'm here now."

He gave a nod, looking at the fire in deep thought. She frowned, walking over and sitting on the log opposite, only the fire and air around seperating them.

Her words were surprisingly soft and delicate. "What's wrong?"

Mordred again did not react, causing Morgana's concern for the young man to grow. "I've never been in a war before."

"Nervous?"

He gave a nod, refusing to look away from the flickering fire.

She sighed, walking over and putting her arm around his shoulder, bringing him closer to her. "It's okay to be scared. Everyone has a fear of something and we all get scared sometimes, no matter who we are."

"Not everyone." He mumbled, "You don't. Emrys doesn't. Uther didn't."

Pulling him closer once again, she rested her chin on his shoulder in a motherly fashion. "I get scared. I get scared alot but I pretend not to."

"Because if you seem scared you're weak."

_Yes._ "No."

"Then why pretend?"

She bit her lip, unsure of what to tell him. "Because I'm too full or pride to show any human emotion."

He smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "You shouldn't do that."

"Why not?" She smiled, slightly happy that he was calming down.

"Because you're human." He stated, glancing up at her. He followed her gaze back to the fire. "I'm still scared, Morgana. What if something happens?"

_If something happens to you, I'll never let myself see the light of the sun again._ She thought to herself sadly. _If something happens to you, I will go to sleep and never wake. If something happens to you, I promise I will take my own life._

"Nothing's going to harm you. Not while I'm around."

_**Camelot...**

Merlin sat on the same bench as he did earlier, waiting patiently for Aithusa to return. The dragon had been gone for some while now so he guessed that the army was still fairly far away. Or she was having a long catch up with the dragon.

Yes, that was something he could imagine happening.

Glancing up at the night sky through the window, he scanned the dark blue for a dot of white, slowly soaring towards the castle. He quickly spotted it and jumped up happily.

_Has she called off the army? Has she turned good again? What if she's still on their side...what if I've just lost the very last chance of saving her?_ He bit his lips anxiously as the thoughts ran round his head. He needed to know what she would do.

Aithusa squawked as she rolled onto the table, a clumsy landing, earning the attention of everyone in the room.

Gwaine noticed and shouted across the room; "Think the dragon picked up something from you there, Merlin!"

The dragonlord rolled his eyes, ignoring the insult. He sat down on the table, waiting for Aithusa to settle down.

_She is going to think things over. I know it._

Merlin frowned. "What do you mean?"

_When I finished talking to her, I left her with a choice. She was confused and needs to think things over._

"In other words, she isn't going to come back."

_You doubt the goodness in her._

"No...I thought that somehow, she could be saved. I was wrong to try and change destiny. I should really listen to Kilgharrah more."

_You need to listen to the one thing in the world that can not lie._

"Everything is capable of lieing."

_Ever since the world began, it has never told a lie. It is honest and true._

Merlin frowned, his blue eyes clouded with confusion. Surely that was impossible? "What is it?"

Aithusa smiled, her own eyes twinkling. _The heart never lies._

He laughed, grinning. "Yeah, nice one. You can't listen to a heart. People don't mean literally, they just mean that sometimes it's better to go with what you want rather than what other people want."

_No, Merlin, it's true. Just listen._

He rolled his eyes, pretending to listen. "Oh, I can hear it!"

_What does it say?_

"It sounds like..." He frowned, raising his fist to the table before knocking on it a couple of times, smiling. "The heart doesn't talk, Aithusa. It's just a saying."

With that, he got up, walking over to Arthur. He felt cheered up by Aithua's little joke.

Unfortunately, Aithusa wasn't impressed that Merlin hadn't taken her seirously. _If only he listened..._

_**The camp**

Morgana wriggled in her sleep, throwing her head left and right in discomfort as she dreamt.

_Mordred was a young boy, dressed in his usual clothing with his cloak thrown on top._

_He was running, running past knights of Camelot as they battled with people._

_She reconised one of them as Alvaar._

_Mordred continued to run, seeking safety. It dawned upon her how shaped Mordred had been made by Alvaar and how much danger it had put him in at the end of it all._

_A face. The face, even in her dreams, sent shivers down her back, goosebumps rising on the skin. It was wrinkled and had long white hair with a beard to match. He wore his usual red robe._

_He stepped out from the tree, looking directly at Mordred as he ran away. His eyes flashed gold and suddenly Mordred had been tripped up._

_She noticed a tree branch that had been pushed out to cause his fall._

_Two knights began to head towards the young boy and he panicked momenterialy before closing his eyes in concentration. The knights were stabbed by a spear each, killing them instantly. The young boy gave a small smile._

_Mordred looked towards Emrys, staring at him. His words reached her mind._

_I shall never forgive this, Emrys, and I shall never forget._

The witch shot up, gasping.

She saw something from the past.

_Perhaps it was just a bad dream. _

She frowned. It wasn't, it felt too real. She would have to ask Mordred about it in the morning.

After a few minutes of calming herself, she settled down once more, closing her eyes as sleep took her.

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	23. Chapter 23 Battlefield

_She saw something from the past._

_Perhaps it was just a bad dream. _

_She frowned. It wasn't, it felt too real. She would have to ask Mordred about it in the morning._

_After a few minutes of calming herself, she settled down once more, closing her eyes as sleep took her._

The sun rose in the deep red sky, waking the army.

Tents were quickly packed away and the army continued their journey towards the castle.

Morgana turned to Mordred as they trotted along side by side via their horses. "Mordred?"

He looked up. "Yes?"

"I had a dream last night." She bit her lip, "It was from the past but I wasn't sure if it was real or not."

A frown crossed his features. "What happened?"

"You were there, just a little boy. There was a small battle and you were running away when Emrys jumped out from a tree and used magic to trip you up. You killed the two men which were ganging up on you, but then I heard you speaking to Emrys-"

Mordred cut in. "I shall never forgive this, Emrys, and I shall never forget."

She gave a small nod, her green eyes wide. "It did happen."

"Yes." He admitted, "It doesn't matter right now though."

"Right." She turned her attention back to the path ahead. They weren't far from the castle now and could already see Camelot's army lined up, ready for battle.

Her eyes flashed gold.

_A raven squawked before flying away. There was an endless sea of bodies from both sides. Moving along the sea, a man came into view._

_Emrys stood in his red robe, a staff or stick of some sort in one hand. He looked down at her._

_"Help me, Emrys..." she choked out, "Please."_

_He looked down at her with an unreadable expression. Anger, hatred? Disgust? _

_His voice was strong and powerful. Too much so for an old man. "Is this really what you wanted, Morgana?"_

Morgana gasped, blinking as her eyes returned to their usual forest green. She glanced around her; she obviously hadn't made a fuss over the vision as no soul looked at her.

Her stomach gave a sickening twist and she felt as though she were about to throw up.

_Is this going to happen?_ She panicked inside her head. _If there is a battle, will this vision carry out?_

She pushed it all down as they came to a halt, a large space between Camelot's army and the one she was with.

This was it.

**Back with Merlin...**

Arthur growled, his palm on his forehead, pressing against it. This was a nightmare.

Leon strided into the room and up to his King and friend. "The army is lined along the front of the forest. They seem to be waiting."

The blonde nodded, following Leon outside to where the army was. He was far too stressed to notice Merlin walking alongside Gwaine and Percival as they followed Arthur.

Arthur, after much pushing and forcing his way through his own army, came to the front. There was a large space between the armies and despite the distance, his eyes immediately found Morgana.

Merlin, in-between the knights, was also forcing his way through the army with 'Sorry, excuse me, coming through, make way' spilling out his mouth. When he finally reached the front, he glanced up to see the large army which went far back into the forest before tripping over his own feet.

"Merlin!" Arthur said through gritted teeth, pulling him up. "Why are you even out here? You can't fight."

"I'm not leaving you." Merlin replied, frowning. "I can fight. Besides, you drag me along with every quest and every other battle, why not this one?"

Arthur sighed. He couldn't argue with his court advisor, not now. "Where's Aithusa?"

"Back inside the castle." He made a gesture with his right hand. "I can call her if you want..."

"No." He shook his head, "Not yet. I think they want to talk."

Merlin frowned, looking back out at the other army. _Yes, with all those swords and weapons and...murderous looks, they definitely want to talk._ He voiced his thoughts to Arthur who merely gave him a look he knew only too well. "Shut up?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes."

**Back to Morgana...**

"Are we ready?" Mordred asked one of the leaders.

"Been prepared this whole time." The leader replied.

Mordred turned around making eye contact with Morgana. "You ready?"

She gave a small nod. "Yeah..."

"Alright." Mordred took a deep breath, preparing to yell out the orders to attack when-

"Wait!" Everyone looked towards Morgana who wore a desperate expression. "Just, wait. I want to try something first."

The young man glanced around, walking over to her. "What is it?"

"If we have our best fight their best instead of these armies."

"Why?"

"Because..." _I'm afraid that my vision may come true and more importantly I'm afraid that you will be in the sea of bodies, no breath in your young lungs and no life in your bright blue eyes. _"We could lose a lot of men. This way it's one person. A fight to the death. We're bound to win."

Mordred stared at the ground, thinking this over in his head. "And who shall we send?"

"I'll go." She stated firmly, "My idea. Besides I told you. Nothing's going to harm you while I'm around. Hold that against me."

He gave a small nod. "I guess...stay safe."

She smiled, pulling him into a hug. Her heart swelled, treasuring the moment. Why did she seem so doubtful of herself all of a sudden? _I'm a powerful witch and talented swordsman - or woman. They don't have anyone who can challenge me. I'll be fine and we will win._

She pulled back, shooting Mordred a weak smile before heading out into no mans land.

Technically, it was Arthur's but during the midst of a battle, that surely changed it?

Her half-brother noticed her coming forward and copied her actions. He knew she wanted to talk.

They met halfway, standing a meter apart.

Arthur's eyes were as sad as a child's who had lost one of their teddys.

"Brother." She greeted, making sure there was no emotion in her voice.

He gave a nod, unsure of whether he could trust his own voice. "Morgana."

His voice was thick but it came out with power that a King should own.

"I have a proposition for you." She explained, waiting a moment for his reaction. When he said nothing, she continued. "Send fourth someone you believe stands a chance at defeating me. It's a duel to the death on behalf of each side. It will save many mens lives."

"I accept." He replied, glancing at the ground. "Will you be using magic?"

He forced his voice to keep the same tone.

She nodded. "The participant will be allowed to use all talents and weapons they have. There is only two rules. This is between me and whomever you pick, no one else can get involved, no matter what happens." His blue eyes flicked up, locking with her green. "Second rule is there are no rules. You can get as brutal as you like."

He gave a nod. "Allow me to discuss this with my advisor and trusted knights."

"Of course."

He walked away, feeling her sharp gaze on him as he faced his army and friends again.

Percival showed concern on his face. "What did she say?"

"We won't have a battle. It would cost too many lives." Arthur explained.

Merlin felt his hopes shoot up. "She's pulling back the army?"

"Not quite."

Everyone looked at their king, waiting patiently for the next part. He gave a sigh. "She will fight on behalf of her army and we will have someone fight on behalf of ours. The thing is...you can use all talents and weapons you have. No one else can get involved and you can be as brutal as you like."

"We can't sword fight against magic." Leon frowned, "Not in a one on one duel."

"I know...I..." He looked towards Merlin. "I don't know what to do."

Silence filled up around them and Merlin knew it was time. He shuffled closer to his King. "I'll go."

The blondes head shot up, panic and concern all over his face. "You can't!"

"Who else can?" Merlin asked, "Look around. Who stands in this army with magic? Who stands here and can actually challenge Morgana?"

Arthur glanced around him in vain hope. "No one..."

"Let him." Gwaine said, receiving looks of shock and disgust. "He can call Aithusa, right? Technically, she is one of his weapons."

Arthur frowned. _No-one else can get involved but what about Aithusa? Does that count?_ He sighed, realising that he had no other choice. "Merlin, please, don't..."

"There's no other choice. Besides, you'll finally be able to get a decent servant!" Merlin forced a smile.

He shook his head. "Don't say that..."

The warlock bit his lip, glancing at Gwaine who shrugged his shoulders. Turning his attention back to Arthur he gave him a quick hug. "Don't underestimate anyone, Arthur. Don't, for a single second, doubt me."

Before Arthur could reply, Merlin walked off to meet Morgana.

Gwaine patted Arthur on the shoulder. "Arthur...you'll find this hard to believe but Merlin can beat her. Trust me."

The King scanned the knight's face. It was full of hope and there was no doubt in his eyes. He really believed Merlin could beat her. Though there was the small concern for his friend, the belief and hope outweighed it and for some unknown reason, Arthur followed it.

"Merlin?" Morgana raised her eyebrows in surprise, ignoring the feeling in her stomach. "Arthur sends a servant? Are you trying to commit suicide?"

Merlin looked down, clenching his fists as he supressed the feelings that were filling him up. "Let's just get this done, shall we?"

She laughed, though there was no humour in it. "You are really being serious about this?" He looked up, his eyes locking with hers. A millions memories flashed in front of their eyes in a brief second. "Very well. What weapons do you require?"

His mind drifted to excalibur but thought better of it. "Gwaine's sword."

"As you wish." Her eyes flashed gold and Gwaine's sword slipped out of his grasp, racing back to Merlin before hovering in front of him. He carefully took hold of it.

With another flash of her eyes, she was holding her own sword, a small smile on her face though it didn't reach her eyes. It was forced. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

"Yep." He gave a nod of agreement, preparing himself for the first attack.

With only a moment of hesitation, she surged forward, her sword flying through the air only to clash with Merlin's.

He threw her sword off and she spun round, striking again. He swiftly blocked it but stumbled back as she then pushed his sword up in the air.

The dual continued, both armies watching in tensed silence as the witch and warlock battled it out.

In one movement Merlin had the advantage, knocking the sword out of Morgana's hand. Gasps were heard from both sides and he could picture Arthur frowning while Gwaine made a comment about him not being so bad with the sword, after all.

Morgana glanced down at her sword, not even bothering to try and get it. It was too far away and Merlin could easily kill her the second she made a move towards it.

Her emeralds flickered back up to meet his sapphires. Both were waiting for the next move; who would strike first? Merlin's sword or Morgana's magic?

Merlin made the first move, throwing his sword to the side. She looked at him, eyes wide in shock. "You really want a death wish, don't you?"

A small chuckle escaped his lips as he shrugged. "Maybe. I just thought I'd keep it fair."

She shook her head. Did he not realise she now had the great advantage?

_"Look after her, Merlin, won't you?" She turned to Morgana. "He's a keeper." She grinned before walking off leaving the magical couple confused._

_Morgana looked up at Merlin. "Did she think..."_

_Merlin continued the sentence. "We were together? Apparently..."_

Morgana pushed her hand forward, the magic pumping through her and shooting out, sending Merlin flying backwards.

_"We're in lust?" Merlin asked, frowning._

_"No, we most certainly are not!" She replied, annoyed at how idiotic the man could be._

Merlin let out a groan as he hit the floor, closing his eyes. He forced himself onwards, determination pulling him back up to stand.

Morgana showed no emotion as she summoned up a fireball, waiting patiently as it grew against the palm of her hand.

_Her eyes flew open and she bolted up, panting. Merlin and Morgana sat there, nose to nose. Hand on hand on shoulder. Eyes to eyes._

She let out a low growl, attempting to force the memories out of her head. Little did she know that Merlin was doing the very same.

_"I don't want to have to do this, Morgana..." He whispered, looking sad. "I'm really sorry...last chance."_

_"I'll never apologize!"_

_"I'm really, really sorry then but this is the only way..." He poked her in the sides causing her to gasp and fall down onto the ground. He quickly knelt down over her body, tickling her like there was no tomorrow._

She sent the burning ball of hatred and anger at him and it stormed through the air. He quickly ducked out of the way, his gaze following it as it continued for a short while before burning out. He returned his attention to her and she shot another spell at him.

He rolled out of the way and jumped it, dodging another spell that she had sent at him.

Both the sapphires and emeralds glanced at the swords. Merlin made a dash for them but Morgana swept him off his feet with an invisible force.

He let out a groan of pain. He would have to fight back soon; he couldn't just tire her out.

_Morgana tilted her head slightly, looking closely at the cloud, almost glaring at it. "I see it!" She grinned, turning to face him. "I saw it!"_

_He smiled at her, their faces mere centimeters apart._

_Morgana rolled her body over so she lied on her side, staring right into his blue eyes. Her head rested on his arm, and her hand stroking the material that covered his upper arms._

_They let a comfortable silence wash over them as the gazed into one another's eyes._

_Merlin felt his head move forward slightly, attempting to get closer to her. She noticed this and copied his action. Their eyes flickered from their lips and their eyes._

_Their lips were centimeters apart. A centimeter._

_Morgana could feel a force, stronger than any force she had ever felt, pulling her in. Her lips parted ever so slightly, puckering for a kiss._

_A sudden buzzing filled the air._

Merlin's blue eyes snapped open, the memory's leaving his mind as quickly as it came. Morgana stood over him, a sword pointed at his neck.

"Why haven't you killed me already?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"I wanted my face to be the last thing you ever see." She replied, her voice soft like a summer breeze.

_"Don't you dare."_

_"I'm always up for a challenge."_

_"I swear if you do, they will be the last things you ever see."_

_"Doesn't sound too bad a deal." He took another sip of his drink, smirking against the rim of the cup._

A smirk crept on to his face and he knew she was thinking the very same. "Doesn't sound too bad a deal."

She couldn't help but grin at the memory. He smiled back up at her, his heart beginning to swell.

In a second it was all gone. Her grin slipped off her face as she lifted to sword, ready to plunge it through his body.

His eyes flashed gold and she flew back a few meters, the sword flying to the left.

She sucked in a breath and opened her eyes, forcing herself to sit up. Merlin was standing, his dark hair blowing in the wind, his face hard as stone. He had an air of power surrounding him and in that split second, she knew.

Her worst fears became true. The thoughts she had hid in a dark corner of her mind, not wanting to think about it because she didn't believe he would deceive her in such a way.

"Emrys." She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

He stared at her, no trace of emotion. "That is what the druids call me."

The anger began to boil in her blood. He had lied to her! When she needed somebody to help her, he had sent her wandering around the forest in search for druids! He could have helped her!

Maybe if he had told her, none of this would be happening.

She bounced back up, the magic trembling with anger inside her. She gritted her teeth as she sent a fireball his way.

He quickly dodged it, conjuring up one of his own which she easily blocked.

Her eyes flashed a fiery gold and the sword that had earlier fallen from her grasp hurtled towards him.

His own eyes shone gold and the sword rocketed high in the air.

Morgana growled, sending another fireball at him.

He deflected it with ease. A sudden look of horror crossed both his and the witch's face as it rushed towards Morgana.

The fireball hit her, releasing a bright burst as she fell to the ground, clutching her stomach. The fireball had been hers and was full of anger which only made it more powerful. A blow from it could lead to death.

Merlin ran across the space between them, falling to his knees.

"Morgana?" He exclaimed, leaning over her slightly.

She groaned, her eyes welling up with tears under the lids. She managed to choke out; "M-Merlin..."

"You're going to be fine." He promised, taking her hand in his. His voice was soft and quiet as he spoke. "Morgana...open your eyes."

She battled with herself for a few seconds, though to her it felt like years of never-ending torture. Finally, her emeralds flickered open.

This time green met blue. Emerald met sapphire. Magic met magic.

Witch met Warlock. Woman met man. And neither could draw themselves away.

"Hold me." Her voice was barely a whisper. It was weak, a signal that she was really leaving.

Merlin gave a nod, holding her tightly.

Just like the day he poisoned her.

His stomach twisted and he felt the lump in the back of his throat become more unbearable. "Please," He begged, "Don't leave me."

Morgana twisted her body round, stroking his cheek. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Their foreheads met, a source of comfort for both of them. Morgana's breaths were sharp and shaky, matching Merlin's own.

Their eyes never left each others gaze.

Her hand slid down to her necker and with the last of her strength she pulled him closer.

Their lips gently brushed against each other. Morgana felt her stomach flip and her heart beat quicken as she leaned forward, sealing their lips with a kiss.

The last thing she would do in her life was kiss Merlin. Out of all people...it seemed more than logical.

It felt right, so incredibly right. How could she have lived her whole life and only found this out now?

His hand supported her head, stroking her hair. He wasn't sure how to feel.

There she was, dieing in his arms...again. Yet they were kissing and it was the best thing he had ever done.

His stomach was flipping from kissing her, but was twisted in a sickening way from the fact she was dieing...and once again, it was his fault. All his fault. How could he have done this again?

She pulled away from slightly, her breaths even more shallow than before. She opened her eyes, looking up to find his.

A sob escaped her lips, her body trembling as he leant back more and put her in a more comfortable position.

They hadn't noticed the rain falling from the clouds above, running down their faces.

Slowly and ever so carefully, he laid her down on the grass, his arm behind her head. He lay next to her, watching her as her eyes closed and her grip began to loosen.

His body was numb as his eyes began to water. His senses began to shut down. He could see only Morgana and feel only Morgana as her hair spilled over his arm and her hand rested upon his chest.

Morgana let her the memories play in her head, unknown to her that she was letting Merlin see them too via their minds.

_"Stop-sto-stop!" She screamed, "Okay, okay!" He paused for a moment, letting her collect her breath. "I'm sorry I called you a girl."_

_He raised his eyebrows. "And...?"_

_"And you are not a girl, you are a man." She sighed, "You don't scream like a girl, you can fight well, and you were picking flowers for a girl so it changes things."_

_He grinned before flopping down next to her, worn out. They lay in the field in silence for a few minutes, watching the clouds pass over._

_"Hey, look." Merlin pointed to a cloud in the sky, "It looks like a bird."_

_"Or a dragon." Morgana mused, her head touching Merlin's in order to try and see which cloud he was pointing at. "That one over there looks like a horse!"_

_"It's got something on it's head..."_

_"A unicorn then."_

The scene changed.

_"Merlin!" He turned round to see Morgana hurrying over. "Merlin, wait!"_

_He let go of the horses reins, a moment of instinct over coming him as he held open his arms which Morgana ran into, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close, taking in her sweet smell._

_"I don't want you to go..." She mumbled into him._

_He frowned sadly. "I have to. I'll come back though."_

_"Do you promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Once again, the scene was replaced by another.

_"Well." He said, coming back. "I guess this is goodbye."_

_"Yes." She nodded, ignoring anything her brain was telling her to do. Stupid voices. "I guess so."_

_"Until next time."_

_"Until the next time."_

Merlin brushed a finger across her cheek, admiring the pale beauty. "Morgana, don't go." He whispered, "I don't want you to go."

Her voice couldn't even be counted as a whisper. "I don't think I have a choice. I'll try?"

"Do you promise?"

"I promise..."

**Woah, long chapter right?**

**First time I've written something like that, so i hope it at least went okay. Would love hearing what you all thought though.**

**BTWWW; Don't worry yourselves! I promise there is more chapters to come!**

**As a reply to Helen ;; I'm not sure how many chapters there will be! I can only say there will be more to come! And yes, it is Mergana :)**

**Majour thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter! You guys are just amazing! I love you all! (Sounds a little creepy, I know...)**

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**I will try my very best to get the next chapter up ASAP!**


	24. Chapter 24 That's disgusting!

_Merlin brushed a finger across her cheek, admiring the pale beauty. "Morgana, don't go." He whispered, "I don't want you to go."_

_Her voice couldn't even be counted as a whisper. "I don't think I have a choice. I'll try?"_

_"Do you promise?"_

_"I promise..."_

Silence filled the air and Merlin waited anxiously as Morgana battled against death. There wasn't much he could do. He was terrible at healing magic, only able to heal minor injuries unless he went through a certain spell but that was usually because it was needed.

He swore that if she made it out of this he would learn healing magic properly.

A squawk teared him from his thoughts. He raised his head slightly to see the young dragon sitting there, her eyes big and blue, innocent and knowing.

"Aithusa.." Merlin croaked, his hopes rising.

Aithusa studied Morgana with curious eyes before breathing over her.

Or whatever it was that those dragons did when giving you something.

Morgana took in a deep breath, her eyes snapped open, her emeralds sparkling with life once more. She forced herself up on to her elbows, looking at Aithusa.

"Again." She smiled.

Aithusa nodded. "Again."

Merlin grinned, standing up and taking Morgana's outstretched hands in his own, heaving her up.

She stumbled into him, grabbing hold of his tunic as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Her eyes met his. "I don't know what to say." She admitted, a grin on her face.

"I do." He smiled, "I think I won that-OW!" He held a hand to his chest where Morgana had slapped him with a surprisingly large force. He frowned down at her. "Shouldn't you be resting and gaining your strength?"

She smirked in response.

"MERLIN!" A voice boomed through the field. The warlock sighed, remembering there were in fact other people around. "Merlin!"

Mordred took hold of Morgana's arm and she leant against him for support, shooting him a smile.

"What do we do now?" He asked.

"We pull back our army and stay true to our word." She answered easily.

Back with Merlin, things weren't running as smoothly.

"What was all that?" Arthur growled, his eyes wide in anger.

"What?" Merlin asked, not sure what part Arthur was referring too. _Magic, the kiss, Aithusa healing her..._

"You have magic!"

"Ah, yes..."

Arthur took in a deep breath, attempting to keep his voice calm. "When were you going to tell me?"

Merlin gave a shrug. "When I thought you were ready."

The king scrunched his eyes shut. "Why would you betray me like this?" His voice was quiet but still strong.

"I didn't choose to-"

"Don't even try and go there!" Arthur snapped, "Dragonlord, I can accept that, okay? It's not like you have a choice but magic? You chose to do that and-"

"I didn't choose magic." Merlin frowned, his eyes never leaving Arthur's. "Magic chose me. I was born this way, I can't help it! I've had magic all my life and I've only ever used it to do what I think is right when protecting your fat ass and Camelot!"

A moment of silence passed between them. Merlin only just noticed Gwaine standing close by. _Just in case Arthur pulls out his sword and does the 'I'm angry at you so I'm going to kill you or at least wound you with this sword'. Heck, the sword is practically magic!_

He didn't dare voice his thoughts as Arthur started taking deep breaths, slowly but surely calming down.

"Well." Arthur stated, feeling a little numb. "I guess that's changed things a little..." He gave his servant a stern look. "We'll talk further."

Arthur turned to some of the knights and Merlin let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding. Gwaine strolled over, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "So...you and Morgana, huh?" He nudged his friend, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Merlin shook his head. "There's noth-"

"Don't try and say otherwise, Merlin. We all saw that romantic scene out on the battle field. Would make a brilliant story, I bet." Gwaine chuckled, glancing over Merlin's shoulder to see the other army. "What are you two going to do now?"

The warlock turned around, noticing Morgana and Mordred slowly making their way back as the armies already started to leave. "I have no idea."

**Back with Morgana...**

"Will Edgar be mad?" Mordred thought out loud as he and Morgana trotted along on the horse.

Morgana gave a shrug. "It's better we lost yet kept our numbers rather than losing the battle and our numbers."

Mordred gave a nod in response, his mind playing back the battle. "I thought...I thought you were going to die."

"For a short time, so did I."

His blue eyes found hers and a number of questions arrived in his head. "You seemed rather taken back when Emrys used magic in the battle."

"I didn't realise he was Emrys or that he had magic up until that moment." She confessed, "Then it all just clicked."

He nodded again. "Explains...but you had already seen Emrys?"

"As an old man. He must have used an ageing spell..." Her voice trailed off in the wind.

He bit his lips, coming to the most questioning topic. "You kissed."

"Ah..."

"You were dieing and he was holding you, you were cuddling and you kissed!"

Morgana looked up, feeling a little guilty. Her pride seemed to take over. "I didn't want to die without him feeling guilty, that's all..."

Mordred was hardly paying any attention to what she was saying. "You kissed! You and Emrys!"

"It was an accident...?"

"That's just disgusting!"

Her emeralds widened. "Excuse me?"

He pulled a face of disgust. "I said that's -"

"I know what you said." She frowned slightly, "I must ask, why is that disgusting?"

"It just is!" Mordred exclaimed, though he had believed they were somehow together when he first met them and they both looked after him. "Behind closed doors, okay, I don't really have a problem apart from the fact he's meant to be our enemy but when you are supposed to be battling! In front of everyone! It's just...**embarrassing!"**

She let out a joyful laugh, her eyes scanning Mordred's face for more hilarious signs of disgust. "Mordred, one day you will understand what it's like to have feelings for-"

"Oh!" He said loudly, smirking. "So you have feelings for him now? What happened to making him feel guilty and the kiss being an accident!?"

She shook her head, the laughter dieing off. "This conversation is over."

A moment of silence fell but it was quickly disturbed by the young man.

"I can't believe you two!" He spat, exaggerating his disgust. "Is he going to be your boyfriend?!"

"Hey!" She frowned, although there was a small smile on her lips. "At least I'll have a boyfriend."

"I could get - no, wait!" He stammered, "I don't want a boyfriend!"

"Girlfriend?"

"I could get one if I wanted to..."

"Could not."

"Could too!"

"Could not!"

"Could too!"

**A small, little more relaxing chapter.**

**Though not for long :)**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews, they all had me smiling like an idiot at my screen! :D**

**SunnySmile2413 - This is sooner than the 5th but I promise to have the next chapter up on the 5th just for you! :)**

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**Again, MAJOUR THANK YOU, to everyone who reviewed, and also to the little followers/favouriters and anyone reading this really. :)**

**Party to celebrate! Food for all! *yay***


	25. Chapter 25 Working Things Out

_"I could get - no, wait!" He stammered, "I don't want a boyfriend!"_

_"Girlfriend?"_

_"I could get one if I wanted to..."_

_"Could not."_

_"Could too!"_

_"Could not!"_

_"Could too!"_

**Back with our favourite warlock...**

Merlin sat in Arthurs chambers, quietly watching as his friend paced around the room multiple times.

_How long have I been sitting here?_ He thought to himself, mentally sighing. _'Come in here, Merlin. We need to talk'. Well why don't you do some talking instead of pacing you prat! I must have been sitting here whilst he has paced for five hours or something!_

The king continued to pace, not speaking a word. Merlin, fed up with waiting, said; "Can you hurry up, I'm getting old here."

Arthur snapped his head up, his pacing halted as he remembered Merlin was still in the room.

And he was still in the nightmare of 'My best friend/manservant/court-advisor/unofficial-court-dragonlord has magic he's apparently been born with and there is something going on between him and my sister but to top it all off, she wants to kill me'.

Yeah, nightmares didn't get much worse than this.

"Merlin..." He started, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Merlin. "I want to know everything. I've calmed down and I'm going to trust you because you've never betrayed me before now and you have always been loyal. When you have hidden something, like you being a dragonlord, you had good reason so I'm going to trust you and listen to what you have to say. Start from the very start."

Merlin sighed. "Well my dad, Balinor was on the run and he stayed in Ealdor for a few months. He left before I was born. As a child I could move objects with my mind before I could even talk."

Arthur's mind was filled with the image of baby Merlin and Hunith as she went to get him a blanket only to find it whizzing across the room because he was too impatient. A grin broke out onto his face. "Your poor mother."

"Yeah...she would always be telling me and Will off-"

"Will didn't have magic, did he?"

Merlin bit his lip, shaking his head. "No...he took the blame for me. He was like a brother to me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Neither said anything for a moment, an air of awkwardness filling the room. Finally Arthur clapped his hands together. "So, you were born with magic. Why did you come to Camelot?"

"Mum wanted me to." He explained, his gaze not leaving his hands. "I had no control over my magic and it often got me into trouble. Mum knew Gaius used to practice magic before it was banned and she trusted him. He helped me to control my magic."

"Is everyone like that?" Arthur asked curiously.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't need words for my magic, it just helps to direct it more. Morgana doesn't either but she isn't quite as powerful as me."

Arthur nodded, rolling his shoulders back as he sat up straighter. "Morgana...what's going on with her, then?"

Merlin's cheeks became pink, making Arthur smile. Merlin clumsily stumbled out; "I d-don't real-really know."

"Did she know about your magic?"

Merlin tilted his head back, laughing. "You're joking right? She had no idea! She knew about Emrys but she saw him as an old man, not me. Good old ageing spell."

"Ageing spell?"

"Yeah." Merlin nodded, tensing up again. "Arthur, do you remember Dragroon?"

The king sighed. "You're going to tell me that was you and I'm going to pull out my sword and threaten to kill you, immediately and without hesitation."

_Oh 'kay..._ "Remember when Dragoon healed your father?"

"I wouldn't have said he healed me father..." Arthur said bitterly.

"He did. Afterwards though we found a necklace that had an enchantment on it. The enchantment was one where if you healed someone, the healing would be undone." Merlin looked up to face his friend. "He was dieing and the necklace undid the healing. Dragoon did heal him, even though it only lasted a short amount of time before the necklace kicked in."

The blonde stared at his own hands as he processed everything the warlock had said. "I guess that makes sense. Who's Emrys?"

Merlin bit his lip. "The druids. They call me Emrys. Morgana saw Emrys as Dragoon but knew he was someone else - she couldn't figure out who...until today."

Arthur's blue eyes met with Merlin's own. "You were born with magic but came to Gaius in Camelot so you could learn to control it. The druids call you Emrys and you are a dragonlord."

"Yeah." He nodded, "When I first came I was told of destiny. It said you would be a great king and unite Albion. That's why I always protected you and Camelot. Not only that but you are my friend. When I first came to Camelot, there was that feast where I save your life, remember? Well the chandelier fall wasn't by chance. Ealdor, that was me. There was a lot; I've saved you more times that I can remember."

A comfortable silence washed over, filling the room.

A knocked sounded on the door and Gwen came in, Aithusa at her heels. A warm smile crossed her face. "Everything alright?"

"Yes." Arthur nodded, standing up. "Everything is fine." He looked back towards Merlin. "Looks like I'll be needing to rewrite the laws of magic."

Merlin stood numbly, watching as a grin spread across Arthur's face. "You mean..."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm lifting the ban on magic. You-" he gave Merlin a poke, "Are helping me write this all out. Court sorcerer."

Merlin's face broke out into a grin and he and Arthur shared a manly hug. "Thank you, Arthur."

**2 days later with Morgana...**

Morgana and Mordred stood in the throne room, both refusing to look ashamed in what had happened.

Edgar was furious. "I wanted Camelot! I can't believe what you have done - worse yet, you lost! You failed!"

Her green eyes glanced towards Mordred, as they had been every five minutes or so for the last half and hour. Mordred was standing, back straight and head high. _Good._ She thought, before turning her attention once again back to the arrogant King.

He gave a nod at someone behind them that Morgana couldn't see. A pain filled her head as everything blacked out.

Her eyes fluttered open, dim light filling her vision. A groan escaped her lips as she attempted to sit up.

Her head was aching terribly and he wrists felt heavy. Too heavy to lift.

Her mind began to process what had happened and she gave a sigh. Her gaze dropped onto Mordreds figure - he was still unconscious.

"You're awake." Edgars voice hissed. "Good. You were knocked out and restrained. Don't bother with your magic, these shackles stop it, as does the cell for extra measuring. Have a nice life."

She waited until she was sure he had left before muttering some words under her breath. Sure enough, her magic had been blocked. She wouldn't even reach it - it was like a barrier between her magic and her.

Well, that's what it was and exactly what it felt like.

_Dammit._


	26. Chapter 26 Torture and Taverns

**Hey! Didn't leave a note at the end of the last chapter, I was in a rush to leave and wanted to put it up. Thank you all so much for the reviews, they mean a lot! :)  
BTW; Last chapter was dedicated to our SunnySmile2413 (Happy -now-late- birthday!)  
Anyway. Here's the story...**

_"__You're awake." Edgars voice hissed. "Good. You were knocked out and restrained. Don't bother with your magic, these shackles stop it, as does the cell for extra measuring. Have a nice life."_

_She waited until she was sure he had left before muttering some words under her breath. Sure enough, her magic had been blocked. She wouldn't even reach it - it was like a barrier between her magic and her._

_Well, that's what it was and exactly what it felt like._

_Dammit._

Morgana grumbled, her mind still sleepy. She wriggled around, frowning at the cold, heavy feeling on her wrists.

_"You're awake." Edgars voice hissed. "Good. You were knocked out and restrained_

The emeralds flew open, alert. They fell upon Mordred who was sleeping in the corner, his soft snores letting her know he was still alive. She turned to see Jasper watching her from behind the bars. Her stomach twisted.

"Jasper?"

He didn't show any reaction. "Mor- Witch."

_Oh, of course._ She thought bitterly, _Edgar's servant, obviously not a friend. What happened to Edgar being so awful that Jasper hated him?_

"Wazzit?" Mordreds voice mumbled from the corner. A sudden thought crossed her mind.

"Jasper?" She called again, more demanding. He blinked, surprised. "What is he going to do with us?"

"I assume by 'he' you mean King Edgar?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I meant your beloved prince charming."

Jasper turned away, leaning his back against the bars as he stared at the wall. "Torture you for a while then if you don't die from that probably burn you."

Mordred smirked. "Charming."

"Indeed." Morgana agreed, "You'd think he would treat his guests a little better."

"You're not guests." Jasper informed, "You are prisoners."

"Yes." Morgana's eyes sparkled as he twisted round the face her. She gave a dark grin. "But for how long?"

**Back in Camelot...**

The ban on magic had been lifted, though there were outlaws on some types which Merlin and Gaius pointed out.

Merlin was officially court sorcerer and advisor although Arthur insisted he kept his position as his manservant.

"Why?" Merlin asked, smiling as he raised an eyebrow. He knew why, he just wanted to hear Arthur say it.

The blonde pulled a face. "Because I said so, _Mer_lin!"

"OI!" A voice bellowed down the corridors, attracting the attention of all who walked through. "You two!"

The pair gave each other a look, knowing already who it was and what their business was. "Gwaine." They chorused.

"Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear!" Gwaine chuckled, jogging up to them. "Either of you two want to join me down the tavern?"

"I can't." Arthur replied, glancing at the floor. "Gwen is expecting me back and..." He trailed off, his eyes widening to try and get the point across.

"Oh, well I expect a heir soon!" Gwaine smiled, "I could make a great uncle...or Godfather, whichever suits."

The king shook his head, wondering what on earth went on in that head. _On second thoughts, I'd rather not know._ He gave both men a nod, retreating to the drunk-free zone of his chambers.

The knight turned to Merlin, his eyebrows high as he pressed his lips together. "You're coming with me." He stated, spinning the warlock round and guiding him through the corridors. "Don't give me any excuses, you are celebrating."

"You keep using that. Merlin frowned, smiling slightly. "How drunk do you plan to get tonight, may I ask?"

Gwaine shrugged. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to know who is carrying who home. One of us needs to be left with a brain."

The knight came to a sudden stop, frowning. "You're right." He noted, "Let's ask-... Let's ask..." His frown deepened. He had already asked all the knights and they had all replied with a quick 'no'. "Um...Gaius."

Merlin snapped his head round, a perfect impression of the elderly physician. "Gaius?"

"Maybe not."

"Nah."

"Nope."

"Let's go?"

"Yeah."

With that, the pair continued their purposeful walk to the tavern, discussing various topics, the main one being a person.

"So, tell me." Gwaine smiled, as the night air brushed over his cheeks. "On the battle field you and Morgana got rather...intimate for a fight."

A blush sprang on to Merlin's own cheeks. "Uh, well..." He scratched the back of his head, not sure what to say.

In honest truth, when he wasn't busy with all the business that had been going on for the past few days, his mind was on Morgana. He was concerned about her.

"I'll ask, you answer." The knight instructed. "Do you care about Morgana?"

"I think so...yes."

Gwaine nodded. "When you kissed her, what did it feel like?"

Merlin frowned. "Why?" Gwaine gave him a look which simply said; 'Just answer the damn question'. "It felt..."

His mind played over the scene again. How could he describe something like that? It was near impossible to describe. There had been so many feelings at the time, scattered all over the place. He felt sparks, though he wouldn't admit that out loud because if Arthur found out he would never hear the end of it.

_"You are such a girl, Merlin." Arthur would laugh. "Or should I say, Merlinda?"_

He pushed the thoughts away, focusing on finding a word. He could only think of one. "It felt right."

The knight clapped him on the back, pushing him into the tavern, not mentioning another word on the subject.

* * *

**Back with Morgana...**

* * *

"Leave him!" Morgana screamed, her voice hoarse as the tears threatened to spill. "Please!"

Edgar clapped his hands and the guard stepped back from Mordred who now had a red horse-shoe print on his upper arm. They had started torturing him first, for whatever reason. It had been going on for nearly an hour now.

Burning his skin. His chest and arms were covered in burns, all in the shape of a horseshoe. It made Morgana's blood boil.

The king shot her a cruel smile. "Would you take the torture for him?"

She gave nodded. "I would take all pain life threw at him, given the chance."

He walked closer, leaning over so he towered over her. "Good. This pain will be worth a lifetimes."

The screams echoed through the dungeons and up the stairs. The guards caught one another's eyes, wincing at the sound.

A couple days later, Morgana being tortured daily whilst Mordred had to sit and watch without saying a word otherwise he was tortured or was forced to torture the Witch himself, found the pair still sitting in the dungeons.

Apparently Edgar had arranged a new form of torture and couldn't wait for it to be performed.

"Will we ever get out of here?" Mordred asked quietly.

Morgana rolled her head against the stone wall in his direction. "Of course." _I have no idea._

She was incredibly tired. Every day had been torture, over and over again. The only positive thing Morgana could find in this situation was Mordred wasn't being tortured - well, physically.

Her eyelids slowly fell, and she felt her body begin to relax.

It was all over far too soon.

"Oh, Witch!" A sickening voice called happily. "I have the new torture!"

A man in a cloak swept into the room, followed by the pathetic excuse of a King.

Her eyes studied the man curiously, almost certain she knew him from somewhere but couldn't place her finger on it.

"This is Alator. He is a priest of the old religion and a warrior." Edgar smiled, though it was more like a grimace. "I give him gold, he tortures you, you are in pain much to my satisfaction. It's just the way things work."

Morgana frowned deeply, sure she knew him. She definitely knew him from somewhere but where?

_When I was trying to find out who Emrys is!_ She thought, realization dawning on her. She looked up, hoping that somehow he could help her and Mordred.

Alator turned round to face Edgar. "If you could wait outside, I prefer to do my torture without so many people to witness it. Don't worry, you will still be able to her the screams."

An ugly laugh escaped the King's mouth and Mordred bit his lip, containing any laughter. Edgar walked out the room and down the long corridor.

Alator turned to Morgana. "So, do you know who Emrys is?"

"Yes." She replied, "Found out just before I was brought here."

"Scream." He commanded. Morgana quickly obeyed, letting out a painful scream. Not a moment later the trio could hear Edgar's laughter echoing down the corridor. "Why are you here?"

"Long story." She let out another scream before continuing. "We were sent to battle with Camelot and take the kingdom. I didn't want a battle so me and Emrys fought on behalf of everyone. He won."

"I heard things from some of the solders on my journey. Is it true that you and Emrys are the very opposite of an enemy now?"

A small smile crept upon her lips. "I don't know. I probably won't ever see him again, let alone the light of day."

She forced another scream, earning a wince from Alator. "Do you still plan to take over Camelot or harm anyone?"

She looked down at the dirty floor. She hadn't really thought about that. Well, it wasn't like she was given a lot of spare time to think about everything. All she knew was that if they were given a chance to get out, she would take it.

Her emeralds glided up to meet his gaze. "No."

Alator smiled. "Then we need talk no further. I apologise for what happens now, I'll try no to make it too painful."

Before she could respond, the torture began. It was weak but was still enough to grind her teeth and hiss out. Of course, she had to be dramatic about this and give Edgar his satisfaction so let out screams of 'pain' every now and then.

As Alator finished up and left, one thought crossed her mind. _Maybe we will get out of here._

* * *

**Sooo... what did you think? Your thoughts on the chapter?**

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BTWWW;; Does everyone/anyone remember Alator?  
If not he is from the secret sharer in season 4 and he tortures information out of Gaius in this odd way... '-' so yeah, quick note there :)


	27. Chapter 27 The Mind of Mordred

_Before she could respond, the torture began. It was weak but was still enough to grind her teeth and hiss out. Of course, she had to be dramatic about this and give Edgar his satisfaction so let out screams of 'pain' every now and then._

_As Alator finished up and left, one thought crossed her mind. Maybe we will get out of here._

* * *

Merlins mind began to wake, slowly becoming more aware of the world around him.

The sudden footsteps on the floorboards next to his bed made him jump back in fright, his eye snapping open just in time to see Gaius before falling off the bed.

He cursed through gritted teeth, holding a hand to his head which was throbbing with the symptons of a hangover. He couldn't even remember last night.

How him and Gwaine returned home without a scratch was a mystery.

"I've got -" Gaius was interrupted by Merlin groaning in pain.

"Shh!" He hushed, putting a finger to his lips. "Stop yelling."

Gaius raised an eyebrow but began to whisper instead. "I've got a potion for your hangover. Drink up." He passed the vial over to Merlin who was still sitting on the floor and left the room. Merlin sneered at the vial, holding it up to his nose to sniff only to turn away.

_It smells awful._ He thought, _God help me if I have to drink this._

He emptied his lungs of air before downing the bottle in one, resisting the urge to spit it back out.

A few minutes later he was sitting having breakfast with Gaius, no evidence of a hangover.

Merlin smiled, eating his food. Everything was peaceful, wonderful.

The bliss was shortlived. "MERLIN!" A voice boomed. The very source of the sound then crashed through the door, a pout on his lips. "Gwen won't help me."

"With what?" Merlin asked, frowning. It was unlike Gwen to not help someone in need.

Arthur raised up a belt in his hand. "I shouldn't have to dress myself."

Merlin hummed in reply, taking the belt in his hands and wrapping it around the King, fiddiling with the holes. Merlin let his eyes flash gold and another hole formed, allowing the belt to fit comfortably around the blonde.

"Can't you dress yourself? You're a full grown man." Merlin chuckled, looking Arthur up and down to check he was properly dressed.

"Of course I can." Arthur replied as Merlin spun him round.

The warlock looked back at Gaius who laughed as Merlin fixed the back of Arthur's tunic. "There we go, all ready for the day ahead."

Arthur nodded and continued out the door, Merlin at his heels.

A few hours later found Merlin sitting with Aithusa, watching the knights practice.

"Emrys." A voice said behind him. He whipped round to see a man he had met once before in the caves.

"Um... I don't think I know your name..." Merlin greeted awkwardly, standing up to face the man.

"Alator." He answered.

"Oh, hi." Merlin nodded, frowning slightly. "What brings you to Camelot?"

"Some buisness." Alator explained, glancing towards the knights. "Arthur's sister-"

"Morgana?" Merlin's said loudly, "What's happened?"

"I was getting to that."

"Oh. Well, go on."

"I went to Edgar's kingdom as he requested my presence. He asked me to torture someone he had captured. When I entered the dungeon I found Morgana with a young man. She is being held and tortured."

Merlin went numb. "How bad?" Alator looked towards the ground and Merlin's voice rose. "How bad?"

"Her skin was red with burn marks. Some are infected. Edgar explained how she is taking her torture and the boys and that unless the boy talked I was not allowed to hurt him. It was the only wish they granted her." Alator looked back towards the knights. "They are looking at you."

Merlin turned around to see his friends staring at him and the stranger, curious and ready to defend him if needed. "So they are...I have to tell Arthur." He nodded to Alator, thanking him before running over to his friends.

"You bring news?" Arthur asked, his gut twisting as Merlins face was pale yet his eyes were on fire with rage.

The dark haired man nodded. "Edgar is holding Morgana and Mordred."

"I thought they were working together?" Gwaine frowned.

"Not anymore by the sounds of things." He turned back to Arthur. "He's torturing her."

After Merlin had informed Arthur of his siters well being he jumped into action, taking his best knights (who else?) to rescue her and Modred.

They had rode quickly, approaching near the castle late that night - or extremley early hours of the morning, they weren't entirely sure.

"We need a plan." Arthur noted, staring at the castle. "Any idea where the dungeons might be?"

Merlins gaze fell on the castle, his magic reaching out around him. "I could try and acess the memory of a guard."

Everyone turned around, suprised to say the least. Arthur raised his eyebrows, impressed. "You can do that?"

"Probably." Merlin shrugged, deciding it was worth a go anyway.

* * *

Mordred looked around the room for the millionth time, as if something to help them escape would just appear.

He hated it here. Despised it. He hated Edgar for what that pathectic king had done.

Morgana had begged him to stay quiet whilst they tortured her. He watched in silence with emotions filling him up.

He felt incredibly helpless. He couldn't stand what they were doing yet he couldn't look away. If he could hear her screams and sobs, if he could see her chest rising up and falling down, he knew she was still alive. He wasn't sure if that was a comfort to know or if he should feel sypathany for the fact she was still alive and enduring the pain.

Their conversation from before the battle played in that back of his mind.

_"Because you're human." He stated, glancing up at her. He followed her gaze back to the fire. "I'm still scared, Morgana. What if something happens?"_

_"Nothing's going to harm you. Not while I'm around."_

She had certianly stayed true to her words. Morgana was protecting him, no matter how much pain it caused her. All in all, it was his fault they were in this mess.

He had been with the druids as usual when Edgars men came to take them all away. The men began to fight against them, giving the children and women a chance to run.

_"Mordred!" A voice yelled. He turned round to see Alfred who was still fighting. "RUN!"_

_His mouth fell open. He didn't want to run, he wasn't a coward. He could stay and fight, like the other men from the village._

_His thoughts came to a halt when an arrow dug in to Alfreds skin. Mordreds eyes went wide in fear as Alfred caught his gaze. He couldn't deny the last wishes of this man. He had practically just sacrificed himself for Mordred and the rest of the group._

_With one last look back at the fight which was continueing, Mordred ran for it._

He let out a sigh, his stomach giving a growl. They were lucky to get a piece of bread to share once a day.

He should never have brought Morgana in to this. He shouldn't have accepted to work with them, he should have let them kill him instead.

Yet no, he was a coward. He accepted it because if he went to get Morgana to help them, he wouldn't be killed and neither would Morgana.

And now they were stuck in here.

Mordred shuffled around on the floor, the chains rattaling as he moved. His thoughts strayed to the battle - had it only been a few days ago now? It felt like a lifetime since he had seen the light of day.

He had been watching from the side, as had everyone else. When Morgana went down and didn't get back up, he made to run over there but was restrained by some of the solders around him.

Eventually, he had stopped struggling and not a second later they were kissing. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that.

Of course, the whole scene was perfect for the hopeless romantic. A battle turning in to a make out session, yes, you couldn't get much more romantic.  
Personally, Mordred found the entire thing revolting.

He worried about it. He had just found Morgana again and now he was scared that Emrys - or Merlin, whatever he went by - would take her away from him.

Mordred wanted revenge on Emrys too yet he couldn't decide what he wanted to do.  
Mordred, of course, wanted magic to be free and wanted Albion to come to life. The only way for that to happen was Arthur and Emrys.

His mind went over what had happened earlier on. Alator seemed willing to help them both and it appeared that Alator and Morgana had met before. Morgana then explained this to him, telling the tale about her trying to find out who Emrys was and she should have realised when she was there because Alator had dropped obvious hints that she hadn't picked up on.

For example; he stared at Merlin, studying his face and claimed he knew who Emrys was. Ever since she had claimed that his name was Merlin, Alator had appeared fascinated by the manservant.

Mordred sighed again and closed his eyes, attempting to get some sleep while he could.

* * *

The knights, the warlock and the young dragon had got into the castle at the back. They had quickly knocked out some guards and changed what they were wearing.

"What do we do with Aithusa?" Gwaine asked, nodding at the dragon.

Everyone turned towards her, each trying to figure out a way to get her in.

"I know!" Percival said, rushing over to a corner. He grabbed a sack and emptied to contents before holding it open. "She can fit in here and we'll carry her through. They shouldn't suspect a thing."

Merlin grinned. "Great!" He picked up the dragon, noticing she had become much bigger than she'd been before. He shuffled over towards Percival and the open sack before urging her to get in.

Once that mission had been acomplished, they headed off through the corridors, Merlin taking the lead because he knew where to go, thanks to the guards memories.

They entered the dungeons, suprised at the size of them thought tried to keep up th act of guards who often went there.

"Oi." A voice boomed and the group turned around to see the guard they had just passed. "What's in the sack?"

"Weapons." Arthur answered smoothly. The guard frowned but gave them a nod and let them continue their journey.

Once out of earshot of anymore guards (apparently they didn't patrol near the actual cells) Elyan spoke up. "There must be a hundred different cells. How are we going to find the right one?"

"We'll just find it." Arthur replied, striding down the corridor. The others quickly followed him, everyone glancing in each cell.

After twenty cells Percival made a suggestion. "Maybe they put her at the very end."

Merlin closed his eyes, trying to find strong magical vibes that came off Mordred and Morgana. He frowned when he reached a blank corner. That couldn't be right, could it? Magic was everywhere, there was traces of it all over the place yet this one corner was completly empty.

Infact, it was almost like a barrier, blocking his senses.

His blue eyes snapped open. "I think Percival is right. They both have magic, if they could use that they would have escaped already. Magic is everywhere but there is a room at the very end which is blocked. They'll be in there, if anywhere."

Arthur nodded. "Come on, then."

The group ran down the long corridor which for a little while felt endless but they eventually found the end.

There was Morgana against one wall and Mordred against the other, both sleeping peacefully.

* * *

**And that is the end of that chapter !**

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	28. Chapter 28 Because Of Your Blood

_The group ran down the long corridor which for a little while felt endless but they eventually found the end._

_There was Morgana against one wall and Mordred against the other, both sleeping peacefully._

Arthur turned back to Merlin and caught his eye. They had no key and it was obvious how they would have to open the cell; magic.

The blonde nodded his eyes wide with fearful curiosity. Merlin stepped forward, holding his hand out in front of the lock. He muttered something that Arthur didn't catch but knew only too well. His eyes flashed gold and the King took a step back.

Apart from the battle, Arthur hadn't seen Merlin perform any magic. He purposefully avoided it, making excuses because he was secretly scared of the power his friend held. It concerned him greatly; what if his father had been on the right track? Except it wasn't the magic that took over their soul but the sheer power that came with it?

He tried to push the thoughts aside with; 'Merlin has had magic since the day he was born, if that were true it would have happened a long time ago.'

The other side of his mind argued back that Merlin always had to hide it and was never given the chance to use his powers fully. Now he has that chance and the freedom of the power will go to his head and you won't be able to save him.

With a loud bang that brought the blonde headed man back to reality, the lock fell apart and the door to the cell swung open.

The pair inside jumped out of their sleep, much like Arthur had from his thoughts.

Merlin rushed in with Arthur and Gwaine following closely behind whilst the other knights stood outside on watch.

"Merlin!" Mordred announced, noticing how the warlock was about to use magic. "You can't." He stated.

"My thoughts about this place were right, then." Merlin sighed, bending down and checking the shackles. "This cell blocks all magic."

"Same with these." Mordred gave a nod, gesturing to the chains.

Gwaine turned his back on Morgana. "There's no holes in these."

"These neither." Merlin frowned.

As the trio tried to figure out how to continue their rescue, the knights quietly talked to one another.

Percival turned to his friends. "Why are we here? I don't understand any of this."

"We're rescuing them." Elyan explained, giving a nod towards the pair chained up in the cell.

"I never would have guessed." Percival said sarcastically. "No, I mean why are we rescuing them? They're enemies of Camelot."

Leon entered the conversation swiftly. "It's our orders from our King. Arthur is no fool, he will have his reasons. Besides, Morgana wasn't always like that."

"I've heard the stories." Elyan nodded in agreement before a frowning. "What could have made her turn in to…_that._"

Leon sighed. "Nobody knows. Something must have, something awful. Mind you, she spent a year as a prisoner of Morgause."

"Maybe she wasn't a prisoner." Percival suggested, "Maybe Morgause and her were working together the whole time."

The knights continued to ponder, spinning ideas about what could have changed the witch so much. Meanwhile, the trio in the cell were still trying to figure out how to complete their rescue mission.

"There must be something." Morgana choked out. "All magic has limits."

Merlin came to a halt, much to the relief of Mordred and Gwaine who were both sure that, had he continued to pace, there would be a hole in the floor.

The warlock clicked his fingers. "Of course!"

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"All magic has limits. Such as Morganas healing bracelet, the stronger visions could get through. The immortal army, they could be killed-"

"When the blood was tipped out of the cup." Gwaine finished, feeling proud of himself. "Right?"

"Sort of. " Merlin frowned, "There was another way, that was the sword…could that…" His blue eyes sparkled as his gaze fell upon Arthur's sword. The blonde shifted uneasily, gripping his sword a little tighter. "Morgana, you are a genius!"

Merlin snatched the sword from his friends grasp before swinging it down on to Mordreds chains. There was a flash of light and a bang, causing everyone to close their eyes and the knights to rush in.

"Is everything okay?" Leon asked.

Elyan looked horrified. "What on earth was that?"

Mordred held up his hands, proving the chains to have broken though the shackles were still on his wrist.

"We'll get them off of you in a minute." Merlin grinned, throwing the sword to Gwaine who caught it easily. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

Gwaine stared at the sword. "Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I need to…you know?" He looked up to see the raven haired mans confused expression. "Do I need to say something or do something?"

Merlin shook his head. "Just do it."

With no further hesitation, Gwaine smacked the sword onto the chains.

Once Gwaine had finished and picked Morgana up, Arthur frowned. "Can I have my sword back?"

"Oh." The knight smiled, passing him the sword. "Are you taking her?"

Arthur paused.

_She is the enemy. _ A voice hissed in the back of his mind. _You shouldn't even be rescuing her and the boy!_

Another voice argued back angrily. _She is your blood! _

_That doesn't change the fact she is an enemy of Camelot and would just _love_ to see you dead._

_It changes everything! You grew up with her, she was like a sister to you! She _is_ your sister. Being an enemy can't change your blood – nothing can._

_She would kill you._

_Then why sink to her levels?_

_For the love of Camelot!_

_For family!_

_Gwen is your wife! This woman tried to kill her!_

_Morgana will have her reasons…_

_Really? You honestly believe that? What happened to your common sense, boy?_

_Maybe we can get her back! You saw her at the battle-_

_You saw Merlin and her. You haven't talked to him about that yet. They could be working together._

_Impossible._

_Nothing is impossible._

Arthur inwardly growled. This argument – more like a battle – had been in his mind the whole way here. It hadn't left. He wasn't sure what made him want to save her. She didn't really deserve to be saved yet then again, she didn't deserve the torture she was enduring.

Did she?

Pushing the thoughts away, he picked his sister up, swinging her over his shoulder.

"Arthur!" She squealed, kicking her legs frantically.

"I don't like this any more than you do, trust me." He told her, rushing out of the cell. He took a glance around him, checking everyone was there. "Ready?"

They all gave a nod and started making their way back. Merlin turned round, concern clear on his face. Arthur bit back a sigh. "Merlin, what is it?"

"How are we getting passed the guards?" He asked.

Arthur gave up fighting the sigh and gritted his teeth. "We went through this before we came in. You knock them out, _Mer_lin."

Realisation flashed in the warlocks eyes. "Oh."

"Oh." The sarcasm dribbled out of the blondes mouth. "I'm sorry, was it not clear the first five times?"

"Yeah, alright." Merlin snapped, looking around the corner. Some of the barrels fell over and started to roll everywhere, the guards running after them with shocked and confused faces. The barrels stopped once the guards were close enough. Merlin flicked his wrist and the barrels sprang up, hitting the guards and knocking them out.

The raven haired man turned back round, grinning.

"I asked you to knock them out, not to create entertainment." Arthur stated, "You're like a cat playing with its food!"

The grin quickly fell. "There really is no pleasing you, is there?"

Gwaine interrupted. "Oh, I think I know a certain queen that does –hey! Ouch, stop it!" The knight pouted, rubbing his arm where the blonde had hit him. "Someone's grumpy."

"Look, can we just get out of here already?" Arthur hissed, marching forward, passing the knocked out guards. The others quickly followed and soon, after some more barrel rolling and knocking out guards (Merlin and Gwaine particularly enjoying this task with Elyan and Mordred encouraging them) they arrived in the safe cover of the forest.

"It's late and much too dark to continue." Arthur stated, acknowledging the dark night sky. "We should stop and rest for the night. We're far enough from the castle now and not even Edgar would search for just two prisoners in the dead of night."

Merlin, who was busy setting out some beds, looked up at the blonde king and raised his eyebrows. "You're sure?"

Arthur turned to him, shooting him a 'comforting' smile. "Trust me."

Merlin shook his head, finishing off the beds before going to collect some firewood with Gwaine. "I hate it when he says that."

Gwaine frowned. "Says what?"

"_Trust me."_

"Oh, that. Yeah, something bad always seems to happen not long after he says that." The knight pressed his lips together, watching his friend pick up the last few pieces. "Hopefully that won't happen though!"

"First time for everything." Merlin noted, standing up straight and sending Gwaine a nod. They turned, heading back towards to camp.

Percival and Elyan were playing with Aithusa as if she was a dog (though she was the size of a large one now). The young dragon's eyes sparkled when she saw Merlin coming back. She let out a cheerful squawk before bounding over.

"No – Aithusa, no! Stop!" Merlin cried as she jumped up at him, tackling him down to the ground. The firewood flew out from his arms, landing by his side. Gwaine let out a bark of laughter, watching the dragon and her master bond.

Merlin eventually managed to shove Aithusa off of him and was left alone on the forest floor to catch his breath after the attack.

He closed his eyes, listening to the blades of crisp dry grass as they rustled in the gentle summer breeze. If he really stretched his large ears he could hear the distant hoots of owls, the chilling howls of wolves. The gentle whispered sounds of crickets in the longer grass, a mere few meters away.

The night was cool, not too cold or too hot; it was clear and calming, allowing him to take deep breaths and savour the fresh air.

His mind wandered to the dark haired beauty that was so close to him yet so far. He hadn't spoken to her yet; in fact he had purposefully avoided talking to her.

The last time they had spoken still clouded his mind.

She had almost died.

He was almost certain that had she died, he wouldn't have lasted much longer himself. He had been thinking it all through, probably over thinking everything but he had come to a conclusion he could accept.

She is the darkness to his light, the hatred to his love.

You need them both in the world; wherever there is dark, there is light. Everyone hates and everyone loves. It was impossible to not have both of these.

You couldn't have one without the other; they were opposites and they needed each other.

"You look peaceful."

He opened his eyes to see Morgana sitting against a tree. Her dark locks were tangled; her pale skin was covered in bruises and burns.

His stomach twisted in disgust as his sapphire eyes scanned over her marked body. "How are you?"

She slowly nodded. "Better now my magic is back." Her emerald eyes locked with his. "I don't understand though."

A frown creased the skin between his eyebrows as she propped himself up on his elbows. "What don't you understand?"

"Why did Arthur come to rescue us?"

He bit his lip, looking for an answer in his mind. After a moment, he came up with the best he could think of. "You're his sister. He's never abandoned you before."

Her eyes fell to the forest floor as silence filled the air. Merlin studied her lips as they parted; he had kissed those very lips.

He found himself craving that kiss once more, a need for it; a need to touch her, to hold her. He just needed to have any form of physical contact with her.

"Merlin?" Her lips whispered his name. He gulped, staring at them hungrily. "Merlin?"

His eyes flicked up to meet her own, confusion clear in her pale emeralds. "Huh?"

"You looked very distant." She explained, "What are you thinking about?"

_You._ "Nothing." He lied, glancing down at his tunic.

"Haven't you lied to me enough lately, _Emrys?_" She raised her perfectly-shaped eyebrows, her eyes sparkling with fire.

_Ouch._ He bit his lip. _Even when she can hardly whisper, her words are as painful as being stabbed in the guts._ "I was just listening to mother nature."

She eyed him cautiously. "Really?"

"Honest." _It's not a lie, I just missed out the part about…well, you._ Their gazes locked and he watched in hidden awe as her eyes told him of the battle she was having with herself about believing him or not. "I've lied to you too much."

Morgana stared at him, her stomach giving a pleasant squeeze. "Alas, our history is not a pleasant one."

He gave her a small smile. "Well at least it's not boring."

_That's one way to put it._ She thought, resting her head against the tree trunk. "What's going to happen to Mordred?" She asked, looking up at the night was dark but filled with millions of little stars, lighting it up as well as the bright full moon. _The moon and stars would be nothing without the dark sky and vice versa. They balance each other out beautifully._

He waited for her to turn back to him and send him a questioning look. He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe nothing will happen."

"If it does…I'll take his punishment."

Merlin frowned. "That's what you did in Edgar's dungeons, isn't it?"

"Yes. I would do it all over again to protect him." She admitted, "It's my fault he is where he is now."

Merlin sat up. "No!" He crawled over towards her, kneeling in front of her. "It is not your fault. You can't blame that on yourself. Besides, he doesn't seem so bad."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "He's still just a boy! Children are innocent creatures and he still has that childish behaviour. I can't lose him to the evil in this world." _I don't want him to grow up like I did; persuaded to the wrong even though it felt right._

Carefully, Merlin put his arm around her shoulders. He made soothing sounds as she leant in to him, squeezing her eyes tightly shut to make sure no tears escaped.

"It'll be okay." He whispered, "I'm here for you."

She looked up, her eyes now dry. "What?"

His jaw dropped. How could she look so damn beautiful all the time? How was he not yet used to it? "We should get back to everyone."

She said nothing as he picked her up bridal style and carried her back to the camp. Percival and Gwaine were attempting to light a fire and failing miserably.

Arthur gave a sigh, striding over to the knights. "Give it here."

"No, we're nearly there!" Gwaine cried desperately.

"No you're not." Mordred stated, teaming up with Arthur. "You are failing to light that fire, and rather miserably too."

"Neither of you could do any better!" Gwaine defended, "Could they, Perc?"

"Umm, I think you should let them try…" Percival admitted with a smile as he stood up.

Gwaine looked up, disgusted. "You traitor…"

Merlin sat Morgana down on one of the beds that had been put out. She leaned towards him, whispering. "Is it always like this?"

"Most of the time." He replied, smiling as Arthur threatened him to a sword fight if he didn't hand him the flint.

"I missed Aithusa." Her gaze fell upon the young dragon who was seated by Mordred. "They're getting along rather well."

The warlock followed her gaze, smiling at the sight. Mordred had a blanket draped over him as he leant against the tree, with Aithusa snuggled up next to him like a dog.

Merlin nodded. "Yeah, they are." He looked down at Morgana and smiled; maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

**I am SO sorry about the huge wait.**

**I was snatched away from the internet (read: I went on holiday). Still there but I found interenet! I cracked the code - I DID IT!  
I know the wait was very long and I didn't mention it (majour sorry for that one) and you might have all thought I abondoned all you wonderful people but no - never going to happen - sorry.**

**Anyway...**

**OMG. TOTAL ELEPHANT THANK YOU! (I can't remember who it was right now, someone asked if they could eat that? Well, I haven't ever tried elephants or attempted to eat thank you's (i think it'd be a little difficult) but sure give it a shot.. ;)**

**So, Massive thanks to everyone who reviewed and just AGH. Love you all (sorry, now I sound a little wierd, right? ;)**

**Sacred3  
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Lady-Lefay-Of-Camelot  
SunnySmile2413 - that'd be me too, hopeless romantic ;)  
SwitzDandelion - Thanks for your review, and it's totally cool about the critic bit haha. In fact, they help a lot and it gives me a better idea on what to write and how I can fix this. In this chapter I tried to get in to Arthur's mind a bit more. You'll see more of that coming up and his battle with himself.  
FireyIce107  
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**I would write back to all of you but half the time I don't know what to say apart from 'thanks, CAN I JUST LOVE YOU, YOU WONDERFUL AMAZING PERSON?'. Anywho, I'm not ignoring your review, just so you know! :)**

**Thank you to you all, I loved them. Hope this chapter made up for the long wait, I know not much happened but there shall we a slight twist in the next chapter. I am more interested on who bothers reading this bit, I've wrote so much here, haha.**

**See youu!**

**P.S I couldn't write other chapters on other stories as I forgot what the very last thing that happened in them was...sorry to any readers of them!**


	29. Chapter 29 Gaius

_The warlock followed her gaze, smiling at the sight. Mordred had a blanket draped over him as he leant against the tree, with Aithusa snuggled up next to him like a dog._

_Merlin nodded. "Yeah, they are." He looked down at Morgana and smiled; maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all._

* * *

Morgana's eyes slowly lifted open to see the blur of knights as the rushed about. "What..." She murmured to no-one in particular.

"We're packing." A familiar voice said from next to her. She turned to see the raven haired man filling a bag, packing as he said. "We have to leave now because Edgar will probably start searching for us as soon as dawn breaks.

Morgana frowned slightly. "What if he just follows?"

Arthur interrupted, staring down at his sister. "He won't." He paused before adding, "Trust me."

From the corner of her eye she saw Merlin roll his eyes. "Trust you...I swear if you say that once more..."

Once everything was packed Merlin scooped Morgana up in his arms, bridal style. She wriggled around. "I can walk!"

"No you can't." He replied, frowning.

"Yes. I. Can!" She continued to wriggle until he stopped and put her down so she was standing on her own two feet. He stepped back, eyebrows raised.

"Go on then." He stated, "Walk."

She glared at him, forcing one of her feet to go forward. She hid the pain under a mask of smugness as she slowly made her way towards the horses. "See? Told you I could walk."

"Pft." He shrugged, "Just because you can walk doesn't mean you're not in pain."

"Well I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"You're right."

"No, you're wrong." She growled before realising what she had said. "You were wrong. Now you're right because I'm right."

Merlin grinned as he took her carefully round the hips and lifted her up on to one of the horses. Once she was sitting comfortably, he jumped on in front of her.

"Ready?" Arthur asked, his eyes scanning through the darkness. Everyone had mounted a horse, Morgana with Merlin, Aithusa was flying and Mordred was with Arthur. A chorus of 'ready' rang out before he gave a nod. "Let's go."

As they rode quickly, Morgana had to wrap her arms around the man in front of her. "This doesn't mean anything." She stated.

"I know." He said as Gwaine butted into the conversation.

"Just like that kiss." The knight grinned, wiggling his eyebrows, "Meant nothing."

The pair ducked their heads, neither knowing how to answer his comment. Gwaine merely smiled happily.

The ride to Camelot was long and tiring with nothing of interest happening. Which was, in one way, quite lucky as they were all exhausted.

When the arrived in Camelot the Queen and the physician was stood by the stairs, waiting for their arrival.

"Gwen." Arthur whispered to no one in particular before jumping off his horse and rushing to her. Mordred held on to the saddle, his eyes wide as the King left him.

The couple embraced with a passionate kiss. Arthur looked in to her soft, warm eyes. "I don't know what to do." He whispered sadly.

She nodded, "It's okay."

The knights began to jump off their horses, Gwaine giving Mordred a hand, whilst Merlin debated on how to get down.

"What are you doing?" Morgana hissed, growing impatient. He frowned before swinging his legs round and jumping off the horse, only for the palms of his hands to meet the cold ground. He heard Morgana laughing from behind him.

"How the mighty have fallen." She commented, grinning wickedly.

Rolling his eyes, he stood and brushed himself off before helping her down off the horse. Ignoring the stares from the people of Camelot, he placed a hand on her back and guided her towards Gaius's chambers, Mordred and Gwaine just behind.

"Merlin?" Gaius looked up, happy to see his ward in good condition. His eyes quickly fell on Morgana who looked...well, awful. "Morgana, what's happened?"

He had cared for her for so many years and although it had been many since he had last treated her, his instincts kicked in and he found himself more than willing to help the woman.

"I was tortured." She replied casually, sitting down. The other three stood and watched as Gaius rushed around, picking up bottles and equipment.

Finally, he came and sat down next to her, inspecting her arms firstly. "This torture...how did you survive?"

"I almost didn't." She admitted quietly, glancing at Mordred and giving him a small smile; she couldn't let him know that she had almost died. "Before Merlin and Arthur arrived, I thought it would be the last time I opened my eyes."

Gaius's face softened as he began to treat her burns, telling her she was being brave when necessary (e.g he had to use the needles.).

Finally, once she was wrapped in up bandages, the elderly man smiled at her. "You need to rest, no running around with swords, no magic as it will weaken you considerably and defiantly no taking off the bandages to see how it's doing." He raised an eyebrow, giving her a warning look.

She nodded, understanding. "I won't, promise. Thank you, Gaius."

"My pleasure." He replied, standing up and looking at the three males. "Who else needs help?"

Merlin and Gwaine gave Mordred a gentle shove forward, smiling down at him as he looked up nervously. "I guess that would be me..." He stated, squeezing his hands together.

"Come on then, don't be afraid." Gaius frowned at his nervousness, "I won't bite."

"Yes," Gwaine agreed, grinning at Merlin. "Just because he is as old as a dragon..."

"Doesn't mean he is one." Merlin finished, giving his friend a high five.

The physician gave them his trademark look before taking hold of Mordred's arm and telling him to take a seat.

Soon enough, after a looked of squirming from Mordred and the two men having to hold him down, they were finished.

As if on cue, Arthur walked through the door, Gwen just behind him.

"All healed?" He asked, noticing the bandages covering his half-sister. "Good. Well, I think we should set up Morgana's old chambers and get a guest chamber set up for Mordred." He looked to his wife as though to confirm that he had said everything he needed to.

Gwen nodded, "Yes, we'll wait until Morgana is fully healed until we make any more decisions."

"Thank you." Morgana smiled appreciatively at the Queen, knowing only too well that it meant she had time to heal before a trial.

* * *

The night arrived quickly and it wasn't long before Gaius and Merlin were eating their meal with Aithusa who was eating out of a bowl on the floor like a large dog.

"So, Merlin." Gaius began, finishing his soup. He sat back slightly, watching his ward carefully and making mental notes of his reactions. "Let's talk."

Merlin looked up, swallowing another spoonful of soup. "We are talking." He replied as though it were obvious.

Gaius merely raised his eyebrow. "I meant, let's talk about certain subjects."

Catching on quickly, Merlin responded with, "How about Arthur and Gwen? Do you think Gwen's pregnant yet? What do you think Arthur's reaction would be like?"

"Merlin."

" I bet he's going to make me work really hard tomorrow, I'll need a nice big dinner to keep me going."

"Merlin!"

"I like this soup, nice broth-"

"MERLIN!" Gaius stood up out his chair, an eyebrow raised as he looked down upon the now silent ward. "Don't start that again."

Merlin looked down at his soup, playing with it. "Sorry."

Gaius took his seat once more, shaking his head slightly. "I want to know what your relationship is with Morgana."

"What relationship?" Merlin asked innocently, remembering only too well Gaius's talk to him after the battle.

_Gaius was looking through some books, happy that he didn't have any patients to treat. Merlin walked through the door with a sigh before falling down on the chair._

_"You'll break my chairs if you're not careful!" Gaius frowned, setting his book aside. "I heard what happened at the battle."_

_"Obviously."_

_"How is Arthur?"_

_Merlin turned to him, grinning happily. "I told him everything. He made me court sorcerer and is lifting the ban on magic!"_

_"Really?" Gaius's eyes widened in shock. "I didn't think Arthur would come to the idea so easily."_

_Merlin nodded, looking down. "He trusts me, that's why. I think it might take him a while to get used to the idea of me having magic."_

_The physician nodded, understanding. "What did he say about you and Morgana?"_

_The warlocks face became red as he wriggled in his seat. "Oh...uhm...nothing. We talked about my magic really and lifting the ban."_

_"Oh, well, what is going on between you two? According to Gwaine the pair of you were having a kissing session in the battle!"_

_"That is...slightly true." Merlin admitted, "Well, Gwaine makes it sound worse, it wasn't like that...it was just a friendly kiss, a comforting one, you know? I thought she was going to die and she shouldn't die alone and...yeah." He nodded his head, pressing his lips together._

_Gaius smiled slightly; he knew the symptoms of every illness, of course he knew the ones of the heart. "Do you like her?"_

_Merlin shook his head, smiling. "No. I hate her, I just felt bad for her, that's all."_

_"Of course." Gaius let out a chuckle as the young ward scurried away in to his own room._

"Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about." Gaius warned, sending him 'the look'.

Merlin gulped. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Merlin, as you and Gwaine tease me about my age so often, you should know that as a physician, and someone with experince, I know the symptons. You can't lie to me about this, I want the truth." Gaius sat back slightly, giving a small nod before adding, "It will help if you express your feelings. I know it's hard to do that as you've always had to hide things, but this is a time of change, Merlin."

The warlock nodded. "I understand."

"So, tell me."

Merlin shrugged, "I don't know. I don't know what's going on with us, I don't know what is going on with destiny and I don't know what's going to happen to her." He raised a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as he shook his head. "I don't know what I'll do if something does happen."

Gaius nodded slowly, patting his wards hand. "There, there."

Merlin opened his eyes, his hand falling on to the table opposite the one Gaius was patting. "When I poisoned her, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. It broke me and I had nightmares for months afterwards."

He continued with a sigh, "Then there was the battle. It all happened so fast yet slow at the same time. When she was hit, it was as though someone had punched me in the stomach. Then I thought she was going to die...well, I guess she did. I felt dead, as though I was going to die with her. It's never hurt so much, I felt so numb from pain."

Merlin shook his head, sighing for the millionth time. "I can't tell you how happy I am that Aithusa brought her back to life - for a second time, too." His lips tugged upwards, forming a small smile.

Gaius gave a half smile, certain that Merlin had found someone that wouldn't dissapear...he hoped. "What about when you rescued her?"

The smile dropped and Merlin's eyes became darker. "The only time I felt so angry was when I killed Nimeuh."

Gaius was taken back by the sheer power in his voice that sent shivers down the spines of enemies. "Did you see Edgar at all?"

"Nope." He replied, popping to 'P'. "He better pray that I don't ever see him."

Nodding, the elderly man processed it through his head.

He was certain that his ward was in love with Morgana but he felt as though it was bringing out a darker side to him, one that Gaius didn't like to see.

Merlin sighed, pushing the empty soup away from him. "I'm off to bed," He announced cheerfully, "I'll see you in the morning, Gaius."

"Yes..." Gaius nodded, his wide eyes going unnoticed by the warlock. "In the morning."

* * *

**Right, I've been having big problems with this chappy. First I was like 'mwhahaa' then all 'actuaclly...maybe i should give them a break' and i've had this massive debate on about what to do. Finally, I figured I would give them a break.**

**Just a small one...**

**:)**

**SunnySmile2413 **

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**helen- Hell yeah I've read thin line! My god, I love that story - it was actually the first Mergana story I ever read and reviewed I believe. Fell in love with it straight away, it's brilliant! Thank you for your review, it's so lovely! X'D that was my face when I read it.**

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**You guys are amazing. When I went through the reviews I was proper crying. Damnit, just gone through them again for that thing and my eyes are leaking. I love you all so much, you guys are the best! I'm so glad to hear everyone enjoying the story too!**

**JUST...**

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**Every word that means I appreaciate so much what you guys say! You're all so brilliant, don't forget that! :) **

**TJTMaria xx**


	30. Chapter 30 Daydreaming Trouble

_He was certain that his ward was in love with Morgana but he felt as though it was bringing out a darker side to him, one that Gaius didn't like to see._

_Merlin sighed, pushing the empty soup away from him. "I'm off to bed," He announced cheerfully, "I'll see you in the morning, Gaius."_

_"Yes..." Gaius nodded, his wide eyes going unnoticed by the warlock. "In the morning."_

* * *

The next day went past in a rush of Merlin completing his tasks as Arthur's manservant (though he shouldn't really have to, he thought that Arthur having George as a manservant was too cruel a punishment for anyone.) until late that evening. As the sky darkened, the warlock shoved open the door with a low growl.

"Merlin?" Gaius's concerned, caring voice entered his mind.

_Leave me alone._ He bit his tongue, closing his eyes as he tried to stay calm. Being tired - no, exhausted - really didn't help his mood.

"Merlin, are you alright?"

_Shut up, old man!_ Merlin frowned at the sudden harsh thought but swept it under the carpet in hope that he could pretend he hadn't thought that about his mentor. Slowly, he opened his blue eyes and turned to Gaius who was sitting at the table, reading yet another book.

"I'm fine." He stated, giving a small nod.

Gaius continued to worry though. "Are you sure? You don't look so good. What did Arthur make you do?"

"Muck out the stables."

_Have a horse push me over in to a massive pile of poo._

"Exercise his dogs."

_They broke off the rope and chased me._

"Polish his shoes."

_It looked as though he had thrown them in the bog on purpose._

"Then the usual."

_Not a very good 'usual', Gwaine came in drunk and vomited over me, Percival knocked me over - okay, accidentally - in training whilst Elyan almost took my head off. When I went to get Arthur's lunch I had not one, not two, but three drinks spilt on me and then when taking his food up, Leon rushed past and it went everywhere so I had to go get some more and oh, I could go on. I could make a list - no, a book on everything that went wrong today._

The physician stared at his ward as though he had grown another head. "Are you quite finished?"

Merlin looked at him, his eyes widening. "I said that out loud?"

Gaius looked Merlin over sympathetically. "Go to bed and calm yourself down. I was going to ask you to deliver something for me but..."

Merlin frowned, "Deliver what?"

"Just something to Morgana to help with her healing." He replied before a light bulb went off in his head and he raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you use magic to help with your chores?"

The warlock shuffled, looking down at his feet. "Arthur won't let me. He says it's cheating." Sighing, he looked back up and forced a weak smile. "I'll take it up to her."

Gaius nodded, pressing the bottle in to the warlocks outstretched hand. "What's that smell?" He wrinkled his nose in distaste, looking Merlin up and down. "Maybe it would be wise to have a wash and change your clothes...I see that Arthur took sympathy on you and leant you a tunic."

"Uh, yeah." He nodded, putting the bottle on the side and heading off to get washed.

As he washed him self, his thoughts strayed to the young woman that had been on his mind recently.

Morgana had changed so much. _She was good, she was lost, she turned evil and then good again before straying down the path of bad and once again becoming good...I think._ Either way, she was more vulnerable now. He had to protect her, he needed to.

Once washed, he grabbed the bottle and rushed up to Morgana's chambers, waving the bottle to the guards as his excuse for going in there.

One, two, three knocks; four, five, six knocks. Behind the door, Morgana lay in her bed, frowning at her body which was covered in bandages. Upon hearing the knocking, she called out; "Come in."

Her voice was thick and strange from not speaking for so long; no one had visited her all day - she had been bored, so very, very bored. The door slowly opened and she wriggled around, sitting up straighter in excitement.

"Hi." He greeted awkwardly, waving a bottle before closing the door behind him. "How are you doing?"

She pulled a face, "Not bad, just suffering from injuries and going to die of boredom."

He grinned, glancing down at the floor before walking over and unscrewing the bottle. "You have to have a bottle of this every other night, I'll come and deliver it for you."

She nodded, watching his long fingers in secret fascination. "A whole bottle?"

"Yeah, uh, here." He held it out and she took it, downing it quickly before she could catch a whiff of it's smell. Through her whole life, she had never found a medicine that smelt or tasted particularly nice - she doubted there ever would be.

Sighing, she placed te bottle back on the side before wriggling around once more and scowling. "Gaius said I have to stay in bed and rest."

"Yeah." He nodded, sitting on the edge of her bed. "What's wrong with that?"

She looked at him as if to say 'really?'. "I've been chained up to a wall for - I don't even know how long, got rescued and had to be on horse back during the long journey and now I have to stay in my bed. I want to move!"

Merlin stifled a laugh, watching as she wriggled around under the covers and his mind wandered once more...

_His eyes slide open slowly and the smell of wild berry invades his sense of smell. It's comforting as he continues to breathe it in, letting out a small sigh._

_"Merlin..." Her voice is thick with sleep but she sounds happy. He grins and uses his chin to push the hair away from her neck, leaving it open to attack. He places a soft kiss on her neck and smirks as she shudders, letting out a small giggle. "Merrlinn..."_

_"Yes?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"_

_"Shh." She fidgets in the wall he has built around her with his arms and looks up in to his eyes as she smiles. The light reflects off of her soft skin and her emeralds sparkle. "I love it when you do that."_

_He grins, attacking her neck once more._

_"Merrlinn!" She cries, "Merlin!"_

"Merlin! Are you even listening to me?"

The warlock shook his head, emptying the thoughts from his mind before turning to the real Morgana. "Sorry, what?"

She rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together. "You haven't been listening to anything I've said."

"Was it important?"

"Well, no..."

"Then, like with most things you say, I see no need to listen." The words tumbled out of his mouth too soon; his eyes widen as he smacks his hand against his mouth, as though to keep it shut.

"What?" She frowned, her eyes wide and cutting in to his like daggers. "I can't believe you just said that!" _I can't believe you don't care for me at all!_

"I'm so sorry." His eyes pleaded with hers, begging her to forgive him.

She was a Pendragon though; stubborn as anything.

"Get out." She growled, turning away from him. "GET OUT!"

He ducked his head, grabbing the bottle and scuttling to the door. He took another look back at her; she still refused to look at him. Sighing, he walked out and made his way to his own bed.

* * *

**Just a small chapter!**

**Agh, stupid Merlin!**

**I have the story planned out now and it should last about another 6 or 7 chapters, roughly. maybe 10 but that's probably the max.**

**Thank you all for the reviews!**

**Guest - **I will be dedicating a chapter to you! You had my inspirations flaring! Thank you for your review! I shall call your guest of honour...because, yeah, it goes. That's how you'll know which chapter is dedicated to you!****

Annoymous - Okay, I won't! Haha, thank you for your review! :)****

Helen - Funny you mention that! When I first read your review I was like 'that sounds pretty cool' then today I was being lazy and decided to type in one of my stories in the search bar to check up on it (The Queen's Ward) and clicked TV shows - Merlin to narrow down the search and there was a story above it which sounds like the one you described. It was called something daughter or something...but I just thought 'wasn't someone looking for that...?'  
You are just so incredly sweet, I just want to hug you! Haha! Awh, I'm so glad you like this story so much! You're going to make me cry in a minute :')  
Thank you for the review, it was an honour to read! :D  
**  
Meri Ley - **Well...it was a talk, right...?;) Don't threat, they will have better conversations (Merlin just needs to stop daydreaming now.) Thank you! And Arwen is so pure and pretty, it's really wonderful. It's so different to Mergana which is like 50 shades of grey (do you see what I did there? ;) Yeah, I won't do that again haha.)  
Thank you for your review! :D  
**  
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**Also, thank you to every one else who reviewed (You should have a PM thank you!)**

_**Remember, critism is always welcome and reviews encourage me ;)**_

_**TJT. x**_


	31. Chapter 31 Kill Her

_"Get out." She growled, turning away from him. "GET OUT!"_

_He ducked his head, grabbing the bottle and scuttling to the door. He took another look back at her; she still refused to look at him. Sighing, he walked out and made his way to his own bed._

* * *

Morgana lay in her bed, glaring at the wall.

Things were awful - her life was awful. It anyone wanted the definition of 'tragic' or any words along those lines, she could reply with 'my life.'

She didn't know what was going on with the her brothers court sorcerer. She thought that there had been a small chance, just a glimmer of hope, that he cared for her in some way.

It was clear now though; apparently she was merely wishing her life away.

The gentle knocks at the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Come in." She croaked, her voice thick from where shee hadn't spoken in a while. She coughed, clearing her throat.

"How are you doing?" The soft voice of the Queen was enough to brighten anyones day, making them feel loved. Morgana remembered when she was about to kill Gwen - it had taken her so long to force herself to accept that Gwen was the enemy now, never a friend. She had tried to concentrate on the swords as much as possible but even then, she apologised for what could have been about to happen.

"Better than I was." Morgana replied, smiling up at Gwen who shut the door behind her.

"That's good. Heard Merlin visited you yesterday."

_Oh, of course._ _Gwen's not here to see me, she thinks I've done something to Merlin because he is probably acting all strange._

Morgana bit her lip, nodding. "I hope your visit is more pleasant."

The Queen frowned as she sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you mean, Morgana?"

"Something he said."

Gwen studied the witch in front of her for a few moments before she caught her gaze. "What did he say?"

"Basically that I'm of no importance and that nothing I say has any importance." Morgana crossed her bandaged arms glaring at the wall once again. "I told him to get out."

"He said that?" Gwen's eyes were wide and disbelieving. How could the sweet, gentle man say anything like that? "That doesn't sound like Merlin..."

Morgana's gaze dropped and her face softened, as though she were in deep thought. Finally, she replied, her words slow. "No. It doesn't, does it?"

The two woman sat in silence for a few minutes, going through their own thoughts.

After a while, Gwen patted Morgana's leg with a smile and left the room.

* * *

He was the biggest idiot alive.

Why would he say that? Sighing, Merlin shook his head, trying to concentrate on cleaning the floor.

It felt like he wasn't himself. Maybe he was just tired from everything that was happening. Right, that was probably it.

He needed to apologise. When could he do that? Gaius would probably want to send another potion up, so he could take that.

_Merlin!_

"Oh, not you." Merlin growled, gritting his teeth. "Not now."

_Merlin!_

"Nope, not listening. Not today-"

_Young warlock!_

"Sorry, who?"

_Merlin..._

Kilgharrah's urgent cries turned to a deadly warning. Merlin gulped; "What?"

_Come and meet me now. It's important._

"Fine." He growled, giving in. "This better be something horribly tragic."

Throwing the brush on to the floor, he stormed out of the room and quickly headed down to his meeting place with the large dragon.

* * *

The leaves rustled angrily, the wind picking up and the clouds darkening as Merlin stormed through the woods. His magic sparked around him, full of energy.

His blood was boiling. He was so fed up with all of this - he just wanted to..._ punch_ something.

Too soon, he entered the clearing where the large dragon was resting on his belly, looking up at the young warlock from where his head was on the ground.

"Young warlock." The dragon greeted, not bothering to stand up.

Merlin breathed through his nostrils before letting out of his mouth. "What is it?"

Kilgharrah's wise, old eyes scanned him as though searching for something. "Tell me. How are you feeling?"

"What?" Merlin raised his eyebrows, not believing what he was hearing. "You called me out here to ask how I'm feeling?"

"Possibly." He admitted, lifting his neck up higher so he looked down at his master. "Now, speak to me."

"I'm fine. Now what do you want?" Merlin snapped, his eyes dangerously still as he stared up at the large lizard.

Kilgharrah nodded, thinking to himself. _This isn't good._ "You're very impatient, Merlin. I can feel your magic flaring around you. Tell me, what is bothering you so much? What has happened?"

Of course. Merlin hadn't told him about what had happened with Morgana. He had been so caught up with everything that had happened and Aithusa had been in Camelot so wouldn't have been able to talk to Kilgharrah. The great dragon had no idea.

"Nothing is bothering me." He stated, looking down before he quietly added; "Morgana's back."

"Explain this further..." The dragon replied, surprisingly calm.

"She's sleeping in her chambers. We rescued her and Mordred."

"WHAT?" The dragon roared, standing up to his full height. "YOU RESCUED HER AND THE DRUID BOY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?"

Merlin sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Not really. She was being tortured, I couldn't just leave her."

The dragon growled angrily; "What is Arthur doing?"

"Once she's healed she'll have a trial." He explained simply, "He'll probably forgive her and then she'll just stay in Camelot."

Another growl echoed through the forest. "You are meddling with things you don't understand, Merlin. The witch _must_ die. Arthur can not forgive her crimes - she is not sorry for them. It is all an act to lure you all in to a false sense of security, then she will attack and betray you all again."

"No, she won't!" Merlin yelled back, his magic sparking. "She's changed! Arthur will forgive her, he can! Destiny has been fulfilled"

"No, it has not."

Merlin stopped, numbly staring up at the lizard. "What?"

"Albion has not been united, young warlock." He explained, almost smugly. "Destiny has not been fulfilled. The witch and the druid boy must die. You can not change destiny, Merlin. You can not fight it and you certainly can not leave it." His eyes looked at him, knowing too much. "After all, you know what happens if you try to leave it."

"No..." Merlin shook his head. "No. Destiny had nothing to do with that, it was coincidence!" _My destiny did NOT kill Freya!_

"Stick to the path that has been made for you, Merlin. The witch is the darkness to your light and the hatred to your love. I have told you that before; I am being proved correct."

"What?" Merlin frowned, "I don't understand."

The dragon shook his head sadly. "You must kill her, Merlin. It is the only way." Without another word, he turned away and flapped his wings, jumping in to the air and disappearing in to the sky.

* * *

**Short chapter again, erk, sorry.**

**What do you think? Love hearing your thoughts!**

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**Mike3207 - **haha, possibly**!**

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**Helen - **The dragon warned me about you being evil... '-' ;) And thank you - big e-hugs all round! Not USA, I'm a British chick from the UK. And yeah, I've heard but on the Merlin I think it was their twitter (found out through Tumblr) that they haven't realeased a date, but this other thing says they have so? :/ And good luck with year 11 - I've just started year 10, got rid of the lessons I don't like :D Haha. Thank you so much for your review, ahh, you're just so lovely! :) P.S And you're welcome, haha.

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	32. Chapter 32 Dirty Little Secret

_"What?" Merlin frowned, "I don't understand."_

_The dragon shook his head sadly. "You must kill her, Merlin. It is the only way." Without another word, he turned away and flapped his wings, jumping in to the air and disappearing in to the sky._

* * *

Merlin sighed, pushing open the door.

"Merlin, could you take this to Morgana for me?" Gaius asked, looking up from a patient and holding out a small phial. "It's her potion to help her on the road to recovery."

Merlin grunted, taking the potion whilst avoiding his mentors gaze and scampered out of the room. _Why can't I ever get a moments peace around here? Do this Merlin, do that, No, Merlin! Don't be such an idiot! I'm so tired of all this, I want to just lock myself in my room and never come out again!_

His feet were heavy as they made their way through the castle corridors that seemed to be never-ending, always winding in to another one.

"Merlin!" He looked up to see Gwen hurrying down the corridor towards her. Although she was smiling, there was a concern in her eyes. "How are you?"

"Fine." He replied automatically. "You?"

"I'm okay. Listen, I talked to Morgana earlier and well, she mentioned that you were a little rude last night." She studied his reaction carefully, biting her lip. "I wanted to check that you're okay."

"I'm fine." He nodded, avoiding her gaze. "It was nothing, I was just tired. I'm going to go apologise now."

Gwen slowly nodded, letting out a breath. "Okay. If you ever need to talk though, we're all here for you." She reached up and patted his shoulder. "Okay?"

"Okay." He looks in to her eyes, nodding. "I better get going, Gwen. I'll see you later."

"Bye." She watched him as he quickly left, continuing down the corridors.

_Lately, there has been something different about him._ Gwen thought to herself. She wasn't sure what, but there was definitely something. With a sigh, she made her way back to her husband who waited in their chambers, making a mental note to talk to him about their friend.

* * *

Morgana sighed, desperate to stretch her body. To do some form of exercise, even just a small walk around the room. _Hmm...maybe...it wouldn't hurt, would it? Besides, what Gaius doesn't know won't hurt him..._ Biting her lip, she pushed herself up and swung her legs round.

She flinched as her toes touched the cold floor, a feeling she hadn't experienced in _oh_, so long. She put a hand on the table and the other on the bed, using them to push her up to a standing position.

"Oh, how I've missed this." She grinned, waiting for the black spots that invaded her vision to disappear. They quickly left, leaving her to stroll around the chambers, satisfied.

Her dress was simple white silk, strapped over the shoulders. It was the same one she had worn when her and Gwen had been -

_Knock, knock._

"Dragon balls!" She cursed, going as fast as she could to reach her bed. _I must look ridiculous._ She thought, gritting her teeth as she stumbled slightly in vain attempt to walk back to her bed in a quick, normal fashion.

"Morgana?"

She froze upon hearing his voice. Her heart hammered in her chest and her stomach gave a uncertain twist.

"What are you doing?" Merlin closed the door softly behind him before heading over to her. "Why are you out of bed?"

"Because, _Mer_lin, I am desperate to perform any sort of exercise. I'm sick of that bed! I lay there all day and night with nothing to do!" She snapped, looking up at him. He stood close to her, close enough to touch. "Don't tell anyone, especially Gaius."

He nodded, holding out his arm for her to take. "What if I do?"

"It'll be the end of you. I won't hesitate to kill you." She gripped his arm as they slowly made their way back toward the bed.

Finally, they reached their destination. She sat down with a sigh, Merlin copying her actions. Avoiding his gaze, she stared at the floor. "What are you doing here?"

Merlin winced at the coldness in her voice. "I came to deliver your potion." He waved it around, reaching across to place it on the table.

A moment of silence passed before she turns to look at him. "Is that all?"

"No." He admitted, ducking his head. "I came to apologise. I was tired and wasn't thinking straight. I wasn't in my right mind. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

Her arms wrapped themselves around his body as she cuddled in to him. "Good."

He grinned, quickly wrapping his own arms around her small body. He rested his chin on her head, closing his eyes and savouring the moment.

"Merlin?" She asked quietly, pulling back slightly so she could look at him.

Their eyes locked, the small buzz of magic running through them. "Yeah?"

She pulled slightly on his tunic, feeling the material between her fingers. "Stay the night. I don't want to be alone."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Of course." He answered, resting his forehead against hers.

Her lips twitched in to a smile. "You've done so much for me, Merlin."

"I really haven't." He chuckled.

"You have though and I want to thank you."

He shook his head. "Thank me for what?"

"Everything."

"No. I haven't done anything, I made things worse. I should have told you about my magic a long time ago." He pulled back, ashamed, turning his back on her and shuffling away slightly.

Taking a deep breath, she crawls towards him, resting her chin on his bony shoulder. "Tell me everything, Merlin. I want to know everything you've done."

He nodded and they settled down in to a more comfortable position. He began his story, telling her everything that had happened. After a while, he got up the part of where he used his magic to stop her and she fell down the stairs.

"That was you?" She frowned, her eyes wide. "That was you? You used magic to push me down the stairs? I could have died! I almost did!"

"But I saved you!" He protested, "Besides, I never meant for you to fall down the stairs! I just meant to close the doors and frighten you, hoping you would return to your chambers and not kill Uther."

"I wasn't going to kill him!" She snapped, "I was going to see Morgause!"

"Oh..." He looked to the side awkwardly. "Well, I'm not a mind reader, how should I know?"

"You shouldn't just assume things!" She shuffled away from him, glaring angrily. "I hate you! You almost killed me!"

"You've almost killed me!" He raised his eyebrows, "On multiple occasions! On top of that, you tortured me -"

"I did _not_ torture you." She spat, "I had to put the fomorroh in your neck and it just happened to cause a little pain."

"A little?" He stood up, glaring at the witch. "You are impossible! That pain was a lot more than just a little! It's funny that even after everything you do to me, I still can't kill you. I hate that I can't bring myself to hate you. I don't even know why I bother - maybe I should just stop bothering all together! I should have left you dead from the very start!"

He turned away, the heated anger rushing through his body.

"Oh, don't pretend you are a saint, Merlin." Morgana glared at him, knowing that he could feel it on the back of his neck. "You've done bad things. You've killed people without a second thought, you've deceived almost everyone."

"I didn't have a choice!" Merlin growled, squeezing his eyes shut. He took a deep breath before calmly responding with, "What about you? You deceived everyone."

"You think I don't know that?" She stood up, fire burning behind her emeralds. "You think that I really didn't care? Here's the thing Merlin, you never knew me and you never will. Don't ever assume that you know how I feel because you have no idea what it's like to be me."

"Oh, it must be so hard." He sneered, turning back around to face her. "You were the king's beloved ward but decided to turn on him and everyone in Camelot. It must be so hard for you."

She lowered her head slightly, her eyes catching his gaze with intense burning. "I had _magic_, Merlin. I thought I was a monster and you were the only person I turned to. You had a choice, you chose to be a _coward_ and push me away right after drawing me in with the '_oh, you can trust me, Morgana! You know you can_!'"

"I couldn't tell you."

Sticking her chin out in the air, she rose her eyebrows. "Couldn't or wouldn't?"

He ducked his head, shuffling his feet. "I was told that it wouldn't bring any good if you knew. I wanted to protect you because that's what good friends do."

"Good friends?" She hissed, "You _poisoned_ me. You let me think you were being a good friend, sharing the drink, acting in such a caring matter. Alas, that was all a lie."

She slowly began to circle him, keeping his eye contact as his eyes followed her movements. "Everyone thinks you are a hero, Merlin. A heart of pure gold, wouldn't hurt a fly. That's only one side to you though, isn't it? I know your dirty little secret, Merlin. There's another side of you and I guess I'm lucky to have witnessed it and still be alive, breathing and walking."

"Morgana..." His voice was a clear warning.

Yet, the witch continued to push his buttons. "How many have you killed without a second thought, Merlin? How many lives have been ended because of you?"

He shook his head; she wouldn't win. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Go on."

"How much blood is on your hands?"

She turned away, looking towards the window. Her voice changed, becoming soft and quiet. "Too many."

Silence filled the chambers, neither of them daring to move or speak for the next three minutes.

Eventually, Merlin slowly walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed a kiss on her shoulder before catching her gaze. "It's okay."

She nodded, twisting around to hug him back, snuggling in to his embrace. "Merlin...I don't think I've ever told you, but..."

Frowning, he pulled back slightly, looking her in the eye. "But...?"

Her cheeks glowed as she looked down at the floor, wriggling her toes which caused a light tapping against the cold ground. "I think...well, it might just be a possibility that I..."

"Go on..." His heart hammered in his chest as he bit his lip, scared and excited for what she would say next.

"I've been thinking and I've come to the conclusion that..." Her eyes flickered back up, locking with his. "I love you."

For the warlock, time seemed to have frozen. He appeared to have a problem processing the words. He blinked, leaning in slightly. "What?" He whispered huskily.

"I love you." She gave a small nod.

A grin broke out on his face as, in one smooth move, he lifted her up and crashed his lips on to hers.

She squealed, kicking her legs in surprise of the sudden loss of the floor. Quickly, she settled in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, smiling slightly.

His lips against hers made everything perfect. It was like magic. As though he had healed every wound that had been inflicted on her and vice-versa.

One of his hands traveled down to her upper thigh, pulling on it as a suggestion. Her legs were soon wrapped around him, making it slightly easier for him to not drop her.

Yet, he did not move his hand. It sat, burning, on the highest point of her thigh on the border line of her bum.

At this point, she decided to push some other boundaries. Slipping her tongue through her lips, she ran them across Merlin's before biting his lips and repeating the action.

His jaw dropped and she took advantage of it, letting herself in to explore.

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he stumbled back, falling on to the bed.

They broke apart, breathing heavily as they tried to catch their breaths.

After a couple of moments, Merlin caught her eye and nodded. "I think, there's a possibility that I might love you back."

* * *

**Hey, hey, hey!**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Major**** apologies for not having it up sooner! I dedicate this chapter to Helenmorgause because of the lovely motivation I was given and the friendly reminder that I had hidden this chapter from you all too long! :)**

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**We'll get to see Morgana's trial in the next chapter (well, it looks at though she's recovering quickly ;) ...hehe)**

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**Meri Ley for the lovely review also! :D Haha, I think there have been times where we would all like to grip our hands around his scaly neck (had we giant hands, of course).**


	33. Chapter 33 The Trial

_After a couple of moments, Merlin caught her eye and nodded. "I think, there's a possibility that I might love you back."_

* * *

It had been a week since Merlin and Morgana confessed their love for one another. Merlin had kept his promise, staying with her during the night. This had continued with him visiting as often as he could. As each day passed, he seemed to become more relaxed and cheerful.

Of course, this hadn't escaped his King's attention - nor his wife and knights either.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked from behind the dresser, pulling his trousers up.

"Uh, yes?" Merlin looked around warily, the belt hanging in his hand. _Gaius was right! I should have learnt the spell that makes these damn holes._ "Everything okay?"

There was a moments silence as Arthur slowly walked round, frowning. "It's the trial today."

"It'll be fine." Merlin smiled, getting back to his work.

Arthur watched sadly, wishing he could have the ignorance to believe it would be okay. He didn't have much choice after everything that Morgana had done - he had gone as far as to visiting her to discuss it with her. She was different to how he remembered and in a way that saddened him. She didn't have the spark of fight in her any more, she was a victim of herself.

_"Arthur, you have no choice." Her voice was quiet, but strong. He knew though, she was doing that thing that she used to do when they were younger. It was the same voiced she used when she was pretending she didn't care because she thought that it was for the best._

_"I do though." He protested, desperate for her to argue with him._

_"No, you don't. You are a king and sometimes you have to make decisions based on what you believe is best for your people." She turned around, her eyes wide. "Please, Arthur. There is no way I can prove myself worthy to the people of Camelot. They don't feel safe with me here, you have to do what is right for your Kingdom."_

_He pouted, looking away. "I don't want to."_

_"Come on." She sighed as she sat down next to him. She patted his arm gently, sending him a small smile. "Please."_

Arthur shook his head, desperate to dispose of the thoughts. "Merlin, what am I meant to do?"

"Well you're King." Merlin chuckled, passing him the belt. "Just give her a fair trial and everything will be fine."

_That's the problem. _The blonde thought, sadly. _I'm King._

* * *

The great hall doors swung open and the King strode through with his beloved wife at his side.

His gaze fell upon the faces of those he passed. None of them seemed worried; the knights were relaxed, even sending him a small smile. Gaius nodded at him before lifting his head in the air; there was an air of pride around the elderly man which made Arthur feel as though he had just been punched in the stomach. The blonde couldn't bring himself to look at his best friend.

After the long walk up to his throne, he quickly sat down and made himself comfortable, avoiding all eye contact with anyone.

"Arthur." Gwen whispered. He turned his head to look at her; oh, his wife with a heart of pure gold. "Everything will be fine." Taking his hand, she gave it a small squeeze before sitting back in her chair.

"My lord." One of the guards stated before stepping aside. "Morgana Pendragon who has committed treason on multiple occasions."

Another pair of guards dragged her in, throwing her on to the ground so she bowed.

"Careful!" Arthur snapped angrily, "She is human."

The men nodded and bowed before scuttling out the room.

"Morgana, you are given a fair trail in which you can choose to defend yourself or plead guilty. Please, speak." Arthur commanded, sitting back slightly. _Please, defend yourself._

The witch shuffled around on the floor before observing her surroundings. She caught Merlin's eye and he gave her a small smile which she returned. _Oh, Merlin._ Sitting next to the warlock was Aithusa, looking at Morgana with bright blue, hopeful eyes. Tearing her gaze away, her eyes landed on Gwen.

A million memories flashed through her mind, their time together as friends. The betrayal it had been Morgana who had betrayed Gwen first.

The queen gave a small nod, her warm eyes so certain that she would have her friend back. _Arthur has to stick to the plan._

The emeralds fell on her brother; the king, the blonde haired man with a large weight on his shoulders._  
_

"I have committed awful crimes. I _am_ evil. I deserve to be executed for my actions. I have nothing to defend." Morgana stated casually. "Make your decision, it won't be difficult."

"Is that all?" The King asked, a stern face masking his desperate eyes.

"That is all." She confirmed.

Merlin frowned, unsure of what was going on. Making a snap decision, he reached her mind. _What are you doing? Why won't you defend yourself? You have every right to defend yourself, you aren't evil. You have a good heart but you were mislead and mistreated. What are you doing?_

The witch looked down at the floor, shaking her head sadly. _I am evil. It's better for everyone if I am punished for what I did - it is just and fair. I don't want to defend myself, Merlin. Do you understand?_

The warlock shook his head, even though she couldn't see. His eyes brimmed with fresh tears; this wasn't happening.

"Then, Morgana Pendragon." Arthur choked out, "I..." Another look around the room. "I..." The hopeful faces, the forgiving hearts. "I sentence you to death."

"NO!" Merlin yelled, jumping forward as the guards grabbed the witch, taking her back out. "NO!"

"MERLIN!" Gwaine grabbed his friend, Percival doing the same as they pinned him down to the ground. He wriggled around, thrashing one way and the other, desperate to find his love.

"LET ME GO!" He screamed, the tears running down his face. "Let me go or so be it."

"What?" Percival frowned, his grip remaining tight on the warlock.

Gwaine shook his head, glaring as his friend in challenge. "No, Merlin. Don't you dare or I will get you back much worse. I will take you to the tavern with me and embarrass you at least once a month, I will use you as my dummy for training, I will make your life hell."

Merlin stopped for a moment, opening his eyes and looking up at the knight. "I don't care what you do to me. If she isn't alive, my life will be the definition of hell anyway."

The anger between the pair slipped away, Percival keeping hold of the warlock just in case and watching Gwaine in case he did something foolish.

Gwaine sighed, keeping their eye contact. "You do care. Shouting won't save her, the choice has been made. There is nothing we can do."

"If she is executed I will take my own life!"

"No!" The knight snapped, giving Merlin a fierce look. "Don't you ever say that, ever even think about it. We need you here Merlin..." He gulped, tears brimming in his own eyes. "I need you."

Merlin looked away and the anger quickly came back. "Well I don't need any of you."

Without a word, his eyes flashed gold and the two men were thrown off of him. He jumped up, wiped the tears from his face and made his way down to the dungeons as fast as his legs would carry him.

He didn't notice what Arthur had done for him.

The hall was empty except for Gaius, the two knights and the King and Queen.

"Stupid idiot..." Gwaine growled, forcing himself up.

"Ouch." Declared Percival.

"I don't understand..." Gwen whispered, more to herself than anyone else. "Why wouldn't she defend herself?"

Arthur pulled her in to a hug, being the stronger out of the two and allowing his wife a shoulder to cry on. "She thinks that the people hate her and will never forgive her. She wants me to sentence her."

The queen shook her head, her hands trembling against her husbands neck. "We can't do this, Arthur. The people, they will forgive her if she explains herself. I've talked to Merlin and Morgana, I've heard the whole story. The story Morgana won't tell because she doesn't think herself worthy of defense."

Pulling back slightly, he frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We have to hold the trail again! I can defend her!" Gwen grinned, hopeful. Feeling slightly better, she rushed out of the room to make work of her plan.

The king merely shook his head sadly; there was no point.

* * *

**Sorry about the long update time!**

**I've got another story (**Yes, this one is slowly coming to an end now**) called 'Guess Who' and, of course, it's Mergana. Check it out!**

**Also my other story, The Queen's Ward. Juicy Mergana chapter coming up on there as well as some Mordred/Emerald (Morald?) in a chapter or two!**

** It's possibly ^it^ will be bumped up to an M (blame Mergana) but I need to know who would still read it if I did, otherwise I'll just create another story with scenes from it(The M's) that weren't in the orginal.**

* * *

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Guest - Here's the update! Thank you for your review :D


	34. Chapter 34 Brotherly Walls of Defense

_"We have to hold the trail again! I can defend her!" Gwen grinned, hopeful. Feeling slightly better, she rushed out of the room to make work of her plan._

_The king merely shook his head sadly; there was no point._

* * *

Gwen smiled at the guards politely. "I'm here to see Morgana." She announced.

The guards nodded, letting her through as one of them opened the cell for her.

The queen waited until the guard was gone before speaking. "Morgana."

The witch lifted her head sadly. "Gwen. I suppose you have come to confirm the time of my execution."

"No." She shook her head, walking over and sitting next to her old friend. "Morgana, I want to help you."

"You can't." Morgana half-smiled, "I must be punished for what I did."

Gwen sighed, leaning back against the wall. "You were mislead. I can understand why you have done everything that you have done. Now that I know all the facts, I understand. It's funny, I used to be scared of what had happened to you. I wasn't scared _of_ you, just how you had changed so much. I didn't know what had happened and I suppose, as humans, we find the unknown scary. Like the darkness; we have no idea what's there and that scares us."

"I was scared." Morgana croaked out. Gwen turned to see her curled in to a small ball, shaking slightly.

Reaching out, Gwen rubbed her back gently, making soothing sounds of comfort. "It'll be okay, Morgana. You've got me. We're sisters."

A shaken chuckle escaped the witch's lips. "We used to say that. Strange isn't it? How it's actually true now."

"Yes." Gwen agreed, grinning. "I suppose it is."

* * *

"Merlin!"

The warlock closed his eyes in annoyance, counting to three before turning round with a smile. "Gwaine!"

Gwaine shook his head, already able to see through his friend. "I wanted to check you were okay before you went to see Arthur. As much of a prat he is, I don't want him dead." The knight gave a smile, patting Merlin on the shoulder.

"I'm fine." He lied, "I've got to go. I'll see you later."

Before the knight could protest, Merlin rushed off to Arthur's chambers.

_I'm fine. I am fine. There is nothing wrong - I am fine. Everything is fine._

"Merlin!" Arthur announced cheerfully in attempt to forget what had happened earlier that day.

_I am fine. There is nothing wrong. I'm fine. I am fine. There is nothing wrong. Everything is -_

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" He yelled, slamming the food on the table. "WHY DID YOU SENTENCE HER TO DEATH?"

Arthur sat there, staring up at his friend innocently, his hands shaking. This was Merlin, sweet, gentle, Merlin. How could he be _this_ angry at him?

_I know I am._ The king thought as his friend paced up and down, screaming at him.

"SHE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG - SENTENCE ME INSTEAD, IT'S ALL MY FAULT SHE..." His voice broke, and he fell on to his knees. "She..."

Arthur jumped out of his seat on knelt in front of his friend, holding on to his shoulders. "Merlin..." He said softly, rubbing his shoulders in attempt to comfort him.

"She...I made that happen." Merlin choked out, the tears streaming down his face at an alarming rate. "Make it stop...I can't see it...not again...please..._Please."_

"How?" Arthur panicked, looking around the room in vain hope.

"Make it stop." Merlin sobbed, leaning towards Arthur slightly. "I can't...I can't, Arthur...please..."

Merlin collapsed in to Arthur's arms, pouring his heart out as he curled up in to a ball.

"Shh..." Arthur hushed, patting his back. _What do I do? What the hell am I supposed to do?_

They sat there for hours, Merlin sobbing whilst Arthur's arms acted as a brotherly wall of defense.

Eventually, Gwen came in.

Her eyes widened and she caught Arthur's gaze. "Is he asleep?" She mouthed.

Arthur frowned slightly, looking down. _Oh._ The mighty warlock had fell asleep during his exhausting release of tears. The king nodded and Gwen gave him a soft smile.

"Carry him." She ordered, holding open the door.

Not wanting to argue with Gwen or wake his friend, he quickly obeyed, following Gwen as she headed down to Gaius's chambers.

"What happened?" Gaius gasped, rushing over to them. "Is he okay?"

"He's tired." Gwen explained simply before turning to Arthur with a small smile. "Do you want to put him to bed?"

The blonde nodded and quickly completed his task before sitting next to Merlin's bed, watching.

The warlocks pale skin seemed so much worse - more pale than usual. There were circles under his eyes and tear stains down his face.

After the emotional trauma, he appeared so peaceful and calm. He was like a young child after crying their eyes out and becoming tired.

Gwen watched from the doorway, Gaius beside her.

"He looks like a father." She noted, smiling at the small scene.

"Yes." Gaius agreed, "Maybe one day he will."

She gave a small nod. "Maybe."

A moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "Will Merlin be okay?"

"Like you said," Gaius replied, turning around. "He's tired - that's all it is. He'll feel better after a good nights sleep."

Gwen gave a soft sigh. "I hope so."

* * *

Aithusa sat in the forest by a lake.

_Aithusa._

The young dragon looked up, confused momentarily.

_I'm here._

Aithusa looked towards the lake to see a transparent person. _Who are you?_

_My name is Freya._ The woman replied, smiling. _What's wrong, young one?_

Aithusa shook her head with a small squawk. _I can't explain._

_Just try. You're incredibly smart and you have such a pure, innocent heart. Just try._

_What are you?_

"I'm Freya." The woman smiled, speaking out loud. "I am the lady of the lake."

* * *

**I don't even know where I'm going with this.**

**XD HA.**

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews , gah, they make me so happy.**

**This chapter is very strange, it is going somewhere but it felt short so I added a bit and Aithusa just kinda happened and...yeah, I really don't know.**

**Oh well! :D Wait and see for us all, huh? ;)**

****Guest - Thank youu - I decided against it because, I'm a tease haha. No, I just don't think it would be as good if I did.

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Go have a read and remember to review :)


	35. Chapter 35 Happily Ever After

_Just try. You're incredibly smart and you have such a pure, innocent heart. Just try._

_What are you?_

"I'm Freya." The woman smiled, speaking out loud. "I am the lady of the lake."

* * *

"Arthur, please! I'm asking you to do this for everyone!" Gwen cried, chasing her husband as he continued down the corridor, his face showing no emotion. "She is your sister!"

"I know!" He yelled, coming to a sudden halt. He took a deep breath, the volume in his voice decreasing. "I know..."

"I don't understand, Arthur." She told him, "Why won't you let us have another trial for her so that we can defend her?"

_Because it's not what she wants._ He thought sadly, shaking his head before continuing to stride away.

Gwen bit down on her tongue, willing herself not to cry. She didn't understand how he could do this - it seemed so unlike him.

Obviously, it was different as she was his sister - there was so much history between all of them.

Arthur had hardly spoken, he had been like a block of ice. She hadn't seen Merlin yet, though to be fair, he was probably still asleep.

She felt a pang of sympathy for him; she could see that he was in love. Everyone could see it and it was painfully obvious. So obvious, even Arthur could see it.

What would Merlin do if Morgana died? The queen shuddered at the thought.

* * *

They blue eyes flickered open as the sunlight poured in to them.

Merlin squeezed them shut once more, turning over to block out the light before opening his eyes once more.

He felt refreshed... energized.

_Morgana..._ In one sudden movement, he was out of bed and dressing himself for the day ahead. He prayed it would be different to how it was foretold.

After a minute or two, he was rushing through the physicians chambers and out the door, heading straight down to the dungeons, paying little attention to those around him.

"I need to see Morgana." He stated as he entered the dungeons.

The guards straightened up slightly.

"You can't." One of them informed him, "Only the King and Queen can see the prisoner - Kings orders. You must have permission from the King before you can pass."

Merlin fought the urge to roll his eyes. "I have permission from Arthur." _Lie._

"You think we'd believe that?" The second guard chuckled.

"I am his manservant." Merlin raised an eyebrow and the guards stepped aside, allowing him to pass. Smiling, he strode pass them and waited at the door for the first guard to open the cell door.

As soon as the guard had gone, he rushed down to sit next to Morgana.

He could still see the faint marks on her skin from the torture that had been inflicted on her only recently.

_I guess this cell is better than that one..._ He thought sollemly.

"Morgana..." He whispered, smiling slightly.

She moved her head up, her tired eyes quickly locking with his alert blues. "Merlin..." She choked out.

Morgana cleared her throat with a frown. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting you." He replied, making himself comfortably next to her. "How are you?"

She forced herself to look at the wall. "I'm okay. How are you?"

He shuffled slightly at her answer, concern flooding through him. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of this."

"I don't want to."

"It'll be fine, don't worry. I can knock out the guards and we can escape."

She sighed. Couldn't he just accept it?

Merlin continued to talk about his wonderful plan. "We can run away together and make a kingdom. Well, maybe that's dreaming a little big, so just a home. We could have kids, you'd be a great mother. We can have our happily ever after."

"Merlin, stop!" She exclaimed, ducking her head.

His lips parted and he felt a slap of rejection. "Sorry. I just...I want to stay with you." He took her hand, massaging it with his own.

The witch trembles, vulnerable because of her own stupid emotions. What happened to her?

Oh, Hunith. Yes, that's what happened.

She wished she could hate her - yet she couldn't. The woman was the mother she never had - her own mother had died when Morgana was very young. She couldn't even remember her.

"Merlin, I don't want to."

"What?" He gasped, his body becoming a statue you.

"I don't want to." She repeated, even though she knew that he had heard. They both knew.

He shook his head, his eyes pleading with her. "Well...that's okay." _I'm sorry I thought you were being honest when you said you loved me. _"I can still help you escape."

"No, that's what I don't want to do."

"I don't understand..."

He wouldn't have though, would he? She sighed, looking up to face him. "Merlin, I want to stay here and be ex-executed. It's what I deserve. I couldn't continue my life here in Camelot and I couldn't deprive you or your chances in life. I have to die and you have to stay here and help Arthur, just like you always have."

His eyes watered and he could feel _the_ lump in his throat. "No..."

"Merlin, please. Do this for me. The people could never forgive me - it wouldn't be right for me to stay here...alive."

She could feel his hands shaking as they held her own hand.

His bottom lip started to go and Morgana felt as though someone had just stabbed her through the heart. "Merlin, don't cry." She whispered.

"No..." He whimpered, not blinking just in case she disappeared. "Don't leave me...I couldn't live if you weren't alive...I can't live without you. I need you - I love you, Morgana. Please, just...please...d-don't leave me he-here. _Alone_."

"Morgana Pendragon." One of the guards announced. "It's time."

* * *

**Just a horribly short chapter because I thought it was a nice place to stop at. **

**Wanting a next chapter? I'll probably have one up pretty quickly because I have the plan in my head now and YAY. :)**

**Hope you guys felt something in this chapter!**

**Remember, reviews are really helpful because they let me know if I'm doing a good job for you all or not! :D**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter - Ahh, I love you all so much.**

****Mike - haha, neither did I! Thank you for the review :D And it shall be wrapped up nicely when it does end. :)

Meri Ley - Thank you for the review! And you know how in like S4 in one of the last episodes, Merlin goes to get the sword from Freya and we see her arm? I'm picturing Aithusa by that lake and feeling very upset and Freya senses this (I'll explain it in the next chapter or something, don't worry!) and confronts her about it. I'll explain it more soon, so no fear. Thank you for reviewing!

**THANK YOU FOR READING :)**


	36. Chapter 36 Importance Of A Soul

_"No..." He whimpered, not blinking just in case she disappeared. "Don't leave me...I couldn't live if you weren't alive...I can't live without you. I need you - I love you, Morgana. Please, just...please...d-don't leave me he-here. Alone."_

_"Morgana Pendragon." One of the guards announced. "It's time."_

* * *

Merlin stood in the crowd, his body trembling.

He hadn't even so much as tried to stop them taking her, leading her to her death.

He had just sat and watched as they roughly picked her up and dragged her out.

Those last few words to him.

_"Let me go, Merlin!_" She had told him desperately.

It could have been interrupted in so many ways.

'Let me go! Merlin!' A cry for help.

'Let me go, Merlin.' A last request. She wanted him to let her go.

Merlin squeezed his eyes shut, willing the recent memory to leave. _What if I can't? What if, I can't let you go?_

She made it clear that this was what she wanted. He understood why Arthur was doing this now. She asked him to.

* * *

Arthur stood on the balcony, his wife at his side.

"I don't think I can watch this..." Gwen whispered shakily, as though everyone could hear her.

"You don't have to." Arthur told her. He didn't want his wife to see this. He wasn't even sure why he wanted to see it so much - human curiosity?

It made him sick, the curiosity to watch his own sister being executed. He wished he could just look away but he couldn't. It was as though his eyes had been enchanted and couldn't leave the stand where the executioner stood, just by the block.

The drum started, echoing around the walls of the courtyard.

Arthur heard a sob from behind behind him and quickly turned around in surprise.

He had forgotten about Mordred.

The young man stood there biting down on his knuckle, desperate to keep quiet and not cry.

The guilt too much to handle, Arthur turned away silently. From the corner of his eye he saw Gwen leave to go and comfort Mordred.

The crowd parted slightly as two guards dragged the witch through the crowd.

"YOU KILLED MY SISTER!" A young man yelled angrily at her.

Morgana ducked her head silently, allowing the guards to drag her.

Her heart was thumping so loud - how could nobody hear it?

It was beating so much faster than steady beating of the drum.

The crowd was silent - almost.

One person seemed to move with her, about five meters away. They kept parallel to her, their footsteps in time with her own.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

The dark raven hair stood out amongst the crowd as it bobbed up and down.

"Merlin..." She whispered to herself.

Suddenly, she was on the block. It was all happening so quickly - she thought it would have been much slower than this?

She lifted her head, looking out towards the crowd. Even the young man who had yelled at her looked solemn.

Right at the front, there was a young boy of around fifteenth or sixteen years of age. He held up a young girl who must have been around seven years old. It was obvious that they were related - the same shade of blonde as well as looking very much alike.

It hit her like a large stone slamming against her stomach. A thousand knives twisting in her guts.

"Amy." Morgana choked out. The crowd all looked around, surprised and puzzled.

"Mandy." Amy frowned, confused. "What are you doing? Mark, what's she doing?" She tugged on the sleeve of her brothers tunic, wanting his attention.

Mark opened his mouth but quickly closed it again; he had nothing to say.

"She's showing people what happens if they're naughty." A woman said, taking Amy and forcing her to look away by leaning her over her shoulder.

Hunith's blue eyes met Morgana's.

_I'm sorry._ The witch thought desperately, not trusting herself to speak. _I am so sorry. Please..._

* * *

Merlin felt the vile lump in his throat harden, becoming more uncomfortable by the second, as he watched the scene unfold.

He felt so numb yet he could feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins.

Raindrops fell down on to his face, soaking his clothes.

_I can't do this. I can't watch this, this CAN NOT happen...it can't._

The executioner raised his axe and the crowd sucked in a breath. Hunith attempted to cover the child more, desperate for her not to see anything.

The emerald eyes locked with the sapphires.

She licked her lips, leaving them parted. He would never get to kiss those lips again...

_Their lips gently brushed against each other. _Their first kiss.

_A grin broke out on his face as, in one smooth move, he lifted her up and crashed his lips on to hers. _Their last kiss.

When they had danced together, skipping around the fire. Swinging to the music as all that mattered was them.

The simple things.

Those things would always be remembered. It was funny that the mind remembered the little things in life, things that, at the time, don't always matter.

The rain created it's own beat on the drum, a pattern that you couldn't follow, couldn't predict, a beat that was so natural and beautiful.

* * *

The man threw down the axe - Arthur had told him to make it as quick and painless as possible.

The man was thrown back as the axe seemed to hit a force field around the witch who patiently sat with her neck on display.

The sky growled and at that very moment there was a spark of lightning.

Some of the crowd began to panic - rushing around, seeking shelter as they ran from the scene. Others looked around, their curiosity getting the better of them as they seemed determined to find out what was going on.

Hunith half sighed, half chuckled as she turned to see her son.

Merlin stood rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on Morgana. The usual blue eyes were burning a brilliant, fiery gold. The magic had been instinctive, he probably wasn't even properly aware of what he had done. His emotions had taken over.

"Mandy!" Amy cried, rushing over to Morgana who was now sitting up with a frown on her face. "Mandy!"

"Hello." Morgana greeted, picking her up. She tore her gaze away from Merlin and his glorious eyes to look up at her brother.

Arthur was smiling. A soft, relieved smile. Mordred was gripping the balcony, grinning like a madman whilst Gwen chuckled in between the pair.

The king sent her a nod before walking back inside, his intentions clear. He needed to have a little talk with his manservant.

* * *

"I didn't realize " Merlin cried, "I didn't know what I was doing! You can't honestly say that you aren't happy I did that though, can you?" He raised an eyebrow, smiling up at his master.

"Yes, alright _Mer_lin." Arthur rolled his eyes, taking a seat next to Morgana on the bed. "What am I meant to tell the people?"

"This wasn't meant to happen like this!" Morgana huffed, desperate for someone to back her up. "This is all your fault, Merlin! The Cailleach said you would be my doom."

"Yes, once again I have thwarted your plans." The warlock laughed.

Morgana responded by throwing her pillow at his face, much to Arthur's amusement.

"Right. Well, we just need to talk to them. Explain that there are...difficulties...and that..." Gwen sighed, sitting down. "I don't know!" She put her head in her hands. "What do we do?"

"Pretend nothing happened?" Mordred suggested, going through Morgana's wardrobe curiously.

The group paused, exchanging looks for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Sounds good." Arthur smiled, getting up.

"See how it goes." Gwen nodded.

* * *

"Tell me what is wrong, Aithusa." Freya smiled gently.

The young dragon looked up slowly, her innocent blue eyes showing such depth and wisdom. _I'm just...there._

Freya tilted her head, frowning slightly as she knelt in the water. "What?"

_I'm nothing special. I'm not important. I can't even talk yet._

"Aithusa. You are a white dragon with great importance to the creation of Albion." Freya smiled gently, "Humans can't talk for a very long time. You'll get there eventually."

_And if I don't?_ Aithusa asked doubtfully.

"Then you don't. It won't make a difference to anyone." The young dragon nodded slowly, letting out a small sigh. The lady of the lake studied Aithusa before standing. "I sense there is something else bothering you."

_Yes._

"Speak, please."

Aithusa stretched her wings, not wanting to talk about it yet at the same time she did.

_If I am so important, why don't I feel it?_

Freya nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "You don't feel appreciated. That's okay. Everyone feels like that sometimes. You aren't the first. You just have to understand that you are important. Where would everyone be without you?"

Aithusa looked down at the sand, thinking carefully about what Freya had said. She had a point. _Thank - _She looked up to thank the lady of the lake yet there was not a soul in sight.

* * *

**Woah, how was this chapter? Like it, dislike?**

**I hope you guys enjoyed it. Ah, I feel it's not very good, I'm very tired atm so yeah. Ah, we are so close to ending this! I need to let go!**

**Mergana fluff in the next chapter and some more Aithusa.**

**Anyone got any ideas as to how they can get the people to understand?**

* * *

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I was just like "Wow...WOW."**

**Ahh, thank you. I was literally screaming at my computer when I read them, haha. I will reply to all of them soon, just probably tomorrow as I really need to sleep and I just wanted to get this up.**

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	37. Chapter 37 Proudness

_Aithusa looked down at the sand, thinking carefully about what Freya had said. She had a point. Thank - She looked up to thank the lady of the lake yet there was not a soul in sight._

* * *

Mordred sat in his chambers that Arthur had been kind enough to give him. He was happy for Morgana and Merlin, together they were good.

As he was slowly becoming a man, he understood more about the things Merlin had done.

His mind drifted back to his father that had been executed when he was a child. A shiver ran down his spine as the thoughts became more and more powerful, as though they were watching him grieve and smiling smugly.

_Mordred._

The young man looked up to see the young white dragon, sitting patiently across the hall. He swallowed back his tears and gave her a welcoming smile. "Hello, Aithusa."

_You were crying._ She noted, slowly walking over. He held out his hand which she eagerly rubbed her face against, like a cat desperate to be pet.

"I don't cry." He shook his head, trying to convince himself more than anyone. "I never cry."

_Everyone cries. Why were you crying?_

"I wasn't." He said simply.

_Yes, you were._

"Wasn't." He dropped his hand, looking down at his shoes. Aithusa could be rather irritating with her knowledge but he couldn't be angry at the young dragon for that. She was just trying to help.

_Okay. Why were you upset?_ She asked, taking a new route.

Their blue eyes met and he chuckled lightly. "I was just thinking." He nodded before adding, "About my dad."

_What happened to him?_

"He was executed when I was a child."

_By Uther?_

"Yes."

Silence seemed to poison the room like a smoke until neither could bare it any more. Without a word, Mordred stood up and walked out the room, an air of anger and bitterness following him.

Aithusa sat by the bed, her head hung down in shame.

* * *

"Everything is going to be perfect." Merlin promised, kissing Morgana on the lips. "We're all going to live happily ever after."

Morgana let out a small laugh before he pressed his lips to hers once more, each time sending a buzz of magic through her. Not magic-magic, just magic that anyone could feel. Incredibly magical magic.

"We don't-" Another kiss from him, "Know that."

He stopped, tilting his head slightly. "You should." A frown appeared on her face and he quickly continued, as though trying to make her understand a hilarious joke. "You know...you should know that...if we live happily ever after...your abilities...your magic...you're a seer?"

"Oh." She managed, looking down as her cheeks flamed. Merlin merely laughed and kissed her forehead lovingly.

Arthur had already told the people yesterday that due to Morgana's instinctual magic, she couldn't be executed. Instead, she would work as a part time maid for Gwen and also help Gaius with his work to pay for her crimes. If Arthur had his own way, she would be back to being a Lady in no time straight but the rest of the household convinced him that the people would probably not appreciate it.

The bell outside sounded, indicating it was now noon.

"I'll see you later." Morgana smiled, giving Merlin a quick kiss before leaving for her punishment which was, today, helping Gaius.

"Bye." He smiled, watching her leave. He let out a happy sigh - everything was going perfectly. The weight of his destiny seemed to be almost nothing compared to what it had been. Arthur had accepted magic and welcomed everyone with magic.

Some people were a little off about this but that was to be expected - the fact that Gaius was now watching over Morgana as she helped seemed to soften the peoples heart towards magic. Things were going well. All that was left was to create Albion.

A sudden thought struck him; _Kilgharrah will probably want to know._

Merlin sighed, walking out the chambers and in to the corridor. Arthur had given him the day off so that he could sort things out like that.

_"Don't spend your day cooped up in those chambers with my sister!" Arthur growled, standing inches from Merlin. "If you do anything other than kiss my sister, I will force you to muck of the stables for a month and sleep in the dungeons."_

The warlock chuckled softly, remembering how protective Arthur was over his sister, even though they hadn't built their relationship back up. He shrugged, supposing that was the thing about siblings. No matter what they did to one another, they would always be there for each other.

"Merlin!" His mothers voice rang out through the corridor. "Come with me!"

Before he had time to answer, Hunith was dragging him out the castle and in to the forest. For a woman of her age - not that she was old, of course - she certainly had a lot of energy.

"Where are we going?" Merlin frowned as his mother finally let go of him and slowed her walking pace. He looked around - they were stood in a small clearing, the forest covering them.

"I want to see this other dragon!" She smiled happily, "I've never really seen you summon a dragon before."

Of course. She had never seen Balinor summon one either, their times had been very short lived. No wonder she wanted to see her only son summon one.

He grinned, throwing his head back and yelling for the Great Dragon. After a minute or two, Kilgharrah landed in the clearing.

"Young Warlock..." He nodded to Merlin before noticing Hunith. "Oh and Hunith! It is, indeed, a great honor " He then proceeded to bow, showing his respect for the woman.

"How come I never get bows?" Merlin frowned, thinking out loud.

The dragon merely laughed. "Merlin, do you not see how strong your mother is? She is a woman with incredible power although she holds little status bar the fact she is your mother. A mother is one of the strongest things in existence never underestimate their power."

Merlin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's great, isn't she?" He smiled, turning to his mother who had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you, Merlin." She choked out, grinning. "So very proud."

"Don't cry." He chuckled, hugging her.

She shook her head. "I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No. These tears are like raindrops - they represent how proud I am of you."

_Damn._ He thought, feeling his own eyes begin to prickle with tears. He quickly got back to the matter at hand, looking up towards the large lizard.

"Arthur has accepted magic." He announced.

"I know." Kilgharrah smiled. "I trust that Camelot's enemys have been defeated."

Merln shuffled slightly. "What enemys would they be?"

The dragons eyes narrowed. "The witch, the druid boy, anyone who tries to attack Camelot-"

"Well Morgana and Mordred are no longer enemies." Merlin smiled. The dragon didn't reply. "Me and Morgana, we're happy together."

Again, the dragon did not reply.

"Mordred and Arthur seem to get on really well." Merlin was now frowning, confused.

Finally, Kilgharrah spoke. "If Arthur is safe and your destiny is becoming reality, you are doing well."

With no more to say, he flapped his wings and flew off in to the midday sunny sky.

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**Hello!**

**I'm so sorry, ekk!**

**This is the end of the story BUT BUT BUT BUT there will be a_ sequel_ with Merlin helping Arthur to make Albion and how Merlin and Morgana's relationship continue aswell as sorting out Aithusa (poor baby dragon!) and making her happy, sorting out Mordred, and seeing how Morgana and Gwen's friendship rebuilds and also Morgana's relationship with Gaius and the people.**

**Oh, and what Kilgharrah has to say to this change of destiny. AND MORE HUNITH (cheers!)**

**_The sequel to Raindrops of the eyes will be called...  
_RAINDROPS OF TIME.**

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**Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story, it means so much.**

Again, I'm sorry this chapter is not only short but the end and took ages to upload too, but I've had an English Essay which I've just finished so I'll be able to focus more on this (aside from the fact I need to find a monologue!)

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Oh, quick help, do any of you know a monologue that's a minute or over that is from a book/film/play that is said by a girl between 15-25?  
Oh, and that isn't a light-hearted film (like "Mean Girls" ect ect).  
Any help is hugely appreciated!

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**Again, thank you.**

**Thank you.**

**To everyone who took their time to read this story and review it or follow.**

**Just...thank you.**

**I aplogise for not replying to each one individually lately, but just so you know I DO read each review and take in to account what is said. I hope at least some of you will check out the sequel and enjoy it too.**

**Thank you to all of you.**

**TJTMaria**


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